Alex Dyer admitted Kilmarnock hit the panic button as they threw away a two-goal lead to lose at home to St Johnstone.

The Rugby Park side – who had won just twice in their previous 10 games – looked set to hand their under-pressure boss a much-needed shot in the arm after goals from Chris Burke and Aaron Tshibola put them ahead at the break.

But they folded after the interval, shipping three goals inside 18 minutes to gift the points to Callum Davidson’s Betfred Cup finalists.

It was another bitter blow for the Ayrshiremen, who lost out to Livingston in midweek after conceding twice late on, and Dyer could not deny there was a fragile look about his team.

He said: “I’m disappointed. We were 2-0 up and in control of the game and the second half came around and we weren’t at the races. I don’t know why.

“We stopped doing all the stuff we’d done well in the first half and if you do that against a side who are confident then you get punished.

“It’s a big frustration. All they had to do was repeat the things they had done in the first half, manage the game and we would have got a result.

“But we didn’t do that. They stepped up a little bit and we didn’t handle it and when they got the first goal in the second half we panicked a bit and the nerves came back.

“When it went 2-2, for me there was only going to be one winner and that was them because they were on the front foot. We stopped doing what we’re good at and they got the winner.

“There is a fragile confidence about the team and that comes with not winning enough games and losing late goals like the we did the other night. Confidence is low.”

Guy Melamed and Murray Davidson both netted from close range before Ali McCann sealed a precious win for Saints as he rifled home from 20 yards.

Both teams started the game locked together on 24 points – but it is Davidson’s team who now move seven points clear of the relegation zone as they leapfrog Killie into eighth place.

And the Perth boss praised his team for mounting their daring comeback.

He said: “The first half was funny because that was probably the best we’ve played recently, so I was disappointed to be two goals down.

“We used the ball well and my only criticism was how we defended both goals. I asked the players at half-time to keep showing that belief and I believed the next goal would be crucial.

“Fortunately, we got it and that gave us the chance to come back at them and I thought the players were brilliant second half – their attitude, the way they got on the ball and got into spaces to hurt Kilmarnock and when the chances came we took them.

“Some of them were scrappy goals but I’ll take that. It was also a fine finish from Ali McCann to win it.

“I’d told them to keep playing forward and retain that positive mindset and that’s what they did. I also told them not to panic or rush passes and they didn’t.

“But Kilmarnock are very good on the counter-attack and we couldn’t afford to let them score that third goal.

“It’s been a good week, winning the Betfred Cup semi-final and then drawing a tough game against Aberdeen and now this. Hopefully this will give the lads confidence for the matches to come.

“I think we can make the top six if we can carry on our form of this month. I’m still more concerned with getting the points to ensure we stay in this league and then we can move forward from there.”