GUS MacPherson has urged his St Mirren players to use their recent wins as a springboard to propel them up the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.
Saints are striving for their third successive win, after victories over Falkirk and Inverness, when they take on Kilmarnock at Rugby Park today.
And manager MacPherson is determined to add to those displays after his side hauled themselves off th
e bottom and up to eighth place.
He said: "We're delighted with the last couple of weeks and we've got to build on it. We're looking to improve. We've praised the players this season and it's important they maintain those standards. We've played some decent stuff, although we weren't getting the points on the board we feel we merited.
"Going into the festive period, it's important we keep picking up points. It's amazing what a couple of results can do, even a couple of draws. But if you can get back-to-back wins, that should give the players added belief.
"Everyone said the players' confidence must have been down but we never saw that. Because we've won back-to-back games, it would be great to build on it. Going to Rugby Park even getting a point wouldn't be the worst. I watched Kilmarnock on Monday against Motherwell and they played well."
Having found goals hard to come by this season, MacPherson was delighted strikers Jim Hamilton and Dennis Wyness – as well as midfielders Andy Dorman and Gary Brady – have got on the scoresheet of late.
He said: "It's important to have match-winners as the teams are so evenly matched. In the last few weeks we've set up more attack minded, 4-4-2, with attacking players in the middle of the park like Brady, McGinn and Dorman, who are capable of scoring goals. They gave us an added threat.
"Andy's come back to form and, even in November, he was looking back to his best. We put it down to fitness as he missed a third of pre-season. He's starting to look more like the player we bought last January."
St Mirren have also been boosted by the return of top goalscorer Billy Mehmet, who missed the last two games through injury.
MacPherson added: "Billy Mehmet's back in the squad after training the last couple of days. We want all our options available, especially our strikers. We've got a few that are playing well and with confidence and that's because of the other players keeping them on their toes."
Kilmarnock midfielder David Fernandez will return from suspension, while manager Jim Jefferies has also been boosted by the return of striker Craig Bryson, who missed the win over Motherwell with an Achilles injury.
There are still doubts over Mehdi Taouil, Simon Ford and Danny Invincibile, who was stretchered off with a head knock on Monday night, while Allan Johnston, David Lilley, Willie Gibson and Ryan O'Leary are still out through injury.
