Kilmarnock's visit to Love Street provided Gus McPherson's men with the ideal opportunity to steal a march on the Ayrshire, who are also expected to be in the SPL basement once the dust settles.
One again, St Mirren's lack of firepower up front came back to haunt them as the home side spluttered to a 0-0 draw to earn the first point of the season for the Saints.
It was the Ayrshire men who started the match the more industrious of the two sides and were almost awarded for their efforts when the mercurial David Fernandez escaped the attentions of Franco Miranda on the right flank, before sending a tempting cross to the back post that Conor Sammon could only head over the bar from six yards out.
The Saints began to instil a sense of urgency to their slick passing play and when Billy Mehmet found the onrushing Stephen O'Donnell with a tempting flick on, it seemed the ideal opportunity to test Alan Combe in the away goal, but the midfielder wildly ballooned his effort over the bar.
The diminutive Mehdi Taouil was beginning to dictate the play from the Killie midfield and the Frenchman was unlucky not to give his side the lead with a crisp turn and shot on the half hour mark that Mark Howard had to look sharp to clutch his effort.
McPherson's men had the bravery of John Potter to thank for keeping the score line blank at half-time, as the defender bravely stuck his head in the way to knock the ball off the line after Sammon had managed to flick his effort over the bemused Combe.
It was the width of the crossbar that came of Kilmarnock's aide just after the restart as Jim Hamilton met Jack Ross' cross at the back post, but the striker's header ricocheted back off the bar with Combe well beaten.
The visitors were certain they had taken the lead in the 70th minute when Taouil's cross found Sammon at the back post. The big striker's point-blank header looked to be a certain goal, but Howard sprang from nowhere to pluck the ball acrobatically from the top corner.
The crossbar came to the home side's rescue with minutes left in the match as Howard's weak clearance fell straight to the feet of Taouil on the edge of the box.
The midfielder tried his luck with a first-time volley with the big keeper struggling to get back on his line, but the lobbed effort cannoned back off the post for the last real chance of the match.