James Fowler says Kilmarnock are striving to have a new manager in charge by Monday morning after they slipped further into the relegation mire in Paisley.
Tommy Wright is the frontrunner to take over from Alex Dyer at Rugby Park and with a massive clash against Motherwell looming on Wednesday.
Ex-Well boss Stephen Robinson has ruled himself out of the running while Steven Pressley has also been interviewed along with Wright and Fowler admits time is of the essence to get a new man in.
The loss to St Mirren made it five defeats on the spin to leave Killie teetering above the relegation zone.
Shorn of confidence the Ayrshiremen were taken apart by the Buddies and it’s now 10 defeats from their last 13 games.
Head of football operations Fowler said they had identified their number one target and were looking to get a deal signed before Monday.
He said: “These things take time to get the interviews carried out and then try and get a deal agreed.
“Interviews have taken place and we are speaking to the candidates. We will hopefully have someone in by the time of the Motherwell game.
“Ideally we would like to have someone in by Monday to take training.”
Kyle McAllister’s first goal since May 2019 and Jon Obika’s second strike in four days did the damage and handed Saints a well-deserved three points to strengthen their top six hopes.
But Fowler continued: “It was a tough one to take as I don’t think there was too much between the teams.
“You can change formation and personnel. Everyone has had a fair crack of the whip this season. It is about the new manager finding something different.
“He might have something that works that they have used previously. He will hopefully find something in the group to bring us success.
“I think there is still quality in this group. I have been there myself as a player where you go on runs and it impacts you.
“It is easy for players to go into their shells, but it is important we stick together. As a staff we will remind them they are good players and things will turn for them.”
These two may have been brothers in arms when they went against the SPFL in their successful appeals against Covid forfeitures last month.
But that alliance went out the window at 3pm in Paisley as the Buddies shed the pals act to pile the pressure on.
Killie had lost six of their last seven away league fixtures without scoring and went back to basics as they looked to stem their recent bad run. It was route one stuff from the Ayrshiremen early doors and they had the first sight of goal when Danny Whitehall raced onto a long punt but fired his 18 yard effort tamely wide.
But the home side were playing all the football and Jamie McGrath tested Colin Doyle from 25 yards before being heavily involved in the move which saw them break the deadlock after 38 minutes.
Obika swivelled in the middle of the park and fed McGrath who sent Ilkay Durmus scampering down the left flank and the Turk’s cross was perfect for McAllister to head past Colin Doyle.
St Mirren’s charge into the top half has been accompanied by fluent football and a flowing move after 60 minutes saw Ethan Erhahon feed Obika who went down in the box under a clumsy Alan Power challenge.
But a minute later it was 2-0 and the same two players were involved as Power failed to clear the scraps from a Tait cross and Obika nipped in to hammer a low shot past Doyle.
Killie were facing a fifth straight defeat in the face. Power had a chance to to reduce the deficit after 70 minutes but Tait bravely threw himself in front of the 20 yard drive to block.
At the other end Shaughnessy fired over from eight yards in the closing stages but a thoroughly deserved and impressive three points were already in the bag.
