Gus MacPherson was without new signing Craig Dargo

"I'm disappointed," he said."When you get your opening game at home, you are hoping to take advantage.

"It was purely the start that cost us. It was a poor goal from our point of view as it came from a throw-in.

"When Motherwell missed a penalty, we should have taken heart. We had a lot of possession in the second half, but the final ball was poor."

MacPherson was denied the services of new signing Craig Dargo through injury.

Stewart Kean and Billy Mehmet were St Mirren's strike force for the opening game of the SPL season.

"If you try to bring in a proven goalscorer and you get him, you want him on the park," the Saints boss said.