Hamilton Accies bolstered their survival chances ahead of their final two games of the season after a brilliant win over St Mirren.
Ross Callachan scored his tenth league goal of the season to give Hamilton a deserved lead on 28 minutes.
David Moyo added a second for Accies on 58 minutes before Jamie McGrath pulled a goal back for the Buddies on 71 minutes to set up a nervy final 20 minutes.
The win leaves Hamilton just two points behind Kilmarnock in the relegation play-off place and three points off Ross County in tenth.
Accies boss Brian Rice - serving the first of his two-match touchline ban - made two changes from the Lanarkshire derby defeat to Motherwell.
Captain Brian Easton picked up an injury against their rivals and was replaced by Reegan Mimnaugh while Moyo came in for the suspended Ronan Hughes.
Jim Goodwin rotated his squad slightly after Monday's Scottish Cup win after penalties against Kilmarnock.
McGrath, Ilkay Durmus and Lee Erwin dropped out with Daniel Finlayson, Ethan Erhahon and Collin Quaner handed starts.
The St Mirren boss was forced into a last-minute change when Marcus Fraser picked up a niggle in the warm up and was replaced by Connor McCarthy.
It was an uneventful start to the game but St Mirren threatened first on ten minutes.
Richard Tait burst down the right and he delivered a brilliant fizzed cross that narrowly evaded Cammy MacPherson and Accies cleared.
Hamilton responded impressively and had a dominant five minute spell where they twice came close to grabbing the opener.
Ross Callachan capitalised on some hesitant St Mirren defending to race onto a long clearance but he fired just wide of the post from inside the area.
After Accies forced consecutive corners, the ball bounced invitingly for Hakeem Odoffin to rifle a powerful half-volley towards goal but it deflected just over the bar.
Accies continued their dominance and they deservedly opened the scoring on 28 minutes through Callachan.
The impressive Lee Hodson broke into box and he floated a perfect ball across goal for Callachan to guide into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Jan Alnwick.
Hamilton dropped off slightly as half-time approached and McCarthy curled an effort just wide of the post on 41 minutes.
The second half passed without incident until Moyo doubled Hamilton's advantage with a fortuitous finish on 58 minutes.
The 26 year-old won possession 35 yards from goal and fed Bruce Anderson who failed to connect properly with his shot but it flew across goal and bounced off Moyo before trickling over the night.
Minutes later, Kyle Gourlay made a brilliant flying one-handed stop to tip Kristian Dennis' acrobatic effort behind.
Despite their two-goal advantage, Hamilton continued to press forward in search of a third and Callachan smashed a brilliant, dipping effort off the bar from 25 yards out on 63 minutes.
Accies continued to commit men forward and Anderson forced Alnwick into a clever low stop from his angled shot on 65 minutes.
Substitute McGrath pulled a goal for St Mirren back on 71 minutes with an excellent low finish into the near corner to set up a nervy last 20 minutes.
It was incredibly tense as Accies battled to hold onto their lead but Gourlay's poor clearance handed a chance to the hosts but Jay Henderson blazed over on 82 minutes.
But Hamilton showed great resilience to hold on for a vital three points ahead of a trip to Dingwall to face Ross County in their next game.
St Mirren: Alnwick, Tait(Erwin 62'), Shaughnessy, Doyle-Hayes, MacPherson(Durmus 62'), Finlayson, Dennis, McCarthy, Erhahon, Henderson, Quaner(McGrath, 61')
Subs: Lyness, Mason, McAllister,
Booked: Erhahon 33'
Goal: McGrath 71'
Hamilton: Gourlay, Hodson, Hamilton, Martin, McMann, Munro(L.Smith, 86') Callachan(Thomas 90'), Odoffin, Mimnaugh(Stanger 88'), Moyo, Anderson(Trafford, 86')
Subs: Scully, Stirling, C.Smith, Redfern
Booked: Callachan 14'
Goal: Callachan 28', Moyo 58'
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