A stunning late goal saw Saints end their losing run and take a valuable three points against Ross County.
The visitors took the lead midway through the first half, Brian Graham finding the net with a fine strike from the edge of the box. There was little sign of Saints drawing themselves level before the break but an unlikely source provided the equaliser, Sean McLoughlin bagging his first Buddies goal after a bit of chaos in the penalty box.
It looked as if they game would end in a draw before some late drama at both ends. First, County's Lee Erwin saw a header cleared off the line by McLoughlin, then Sam Foley bagged a fantastic winner, thumping home his first goal in the stripes after great work by Tony Andreu.
The Frenchman found himself on the bench as Saints boss Jim Goodwin shuffled his pack, Stephen McGinn also among the subs with Ryan Flynn and Ilkay Durmus starting. There was also a change at the back as Gary MacKenzie took over from the injured Kirk Broadfoot, with fit again pair Kyle McAllister and Cody Cooke on the bench. Former Buddies Sean Kelly and Ross Stewart started for the Staggies.
Durmus volleyed wide early on when County could only clear a free-kick as far as the edge of the box and Saints continued to force set-pieces but looked fragile on the break, Josh Mullin curling a shot into the arms of Vaclav Hladky. The next Buddies corner provided a chance at the right end as again County didn't properly clear their lines, Kyle Magennis' dipping shot going narrowly over the bar.
Staggies goalie Nathan Baxter had had a quiet opening quarter but should have been tested by Jon Obika after Foley released him on the right. He got the better of Liam Fontaine to force an opening only to blaze his effort over the bar. It was to prove a costly miss as a few minutes later the visitors took the lead, Graham exchanging passes with Billy McKay before working himself some space at the edge of the area and poking a shot beyond Hladky.
Flynn drilled a low shot straight at Baxter as Saints looked for an equaliser but they nearly fell further behind when McKay got in behind the home defence, Hladky getting his fingertips to his shot. It looked as if the visitors would hold their lead at the break before the Buddies finally made one of their numerous corners count. The initial delivery was cleared and when it was played back in there was a bit of a scramble with bodies everywhere, Flynn clearly being fouled as he tried to force the ball home. It looked like ref Euan Anderson was going to award a penalty but the ball trundled to McLoughlin and he stabbed it past Baxter to level things up.
The turnaround should have been completed early in the second half when Obika got the better of his man but the shot meekly at Baxter. He then teed up Durmus, whose shot deflected off Morris and didn't fly far wide with the visiting goalie stranded, before Mullen smashed a chance over the bar when passing to Flynn in the middle would perhaps have been the better option. That was the striker's last involvement as he was replaced by Andreu before play resumed.
The Saints fans were screaming for Callum Morris to be sent off when he brought down Obika near the half way line with no one else between the striker and goalie Baxter, however ref Mr Anderson felt a yellow card was sufficient punishment.
The County defence were struggling to deal with the bustling frontman, Fontaine the next to be booked for hauling Obika down as he burst through on goal. The Buddies were on top and when Obika knocked the ball to Flynn at a corner, he danced past a couple of challenges before squaring for Durmus who completely missed the ball as he tried to thump it into the net.
County had barely looked like scoring since the break but they suddenly stepped things up in the last 10 minutes and thought they'd snatched a winner. Blair Spittal picked out fellow sub Lee Erwin at the back post and he headed the ball back across goal past Hladky, only for McLoughlin to hack it away just before it crossed the line.
Had it gone in, it would have been cruel on Saints as they had been far the better side in the second half and deserved the winner that a couple of minutes from the end.
McAllister flicked the ball on to Andreu to burst forward and as things opened up in front of him he laid it off to Foley at the edge of the box who gave Baxter no chance as he thumped a shot into the roof of the net.
There could be few complaints about Saints going in front and they comfortably saw out four minutes of stoppage time to move off the bottom of the Premiership.
Full-Time: St Mirren 2-1 Ross County
St Mirren: Hladky, P.McGinn, McLoughlin, MacKenzie, Waters, Magennis (McAllister 75), Flynn, Foley, Durmus (S.McGinn 90), Mullen (Andreu 58), Obika
Subs Not Used: Lyness, MacPherson, Cooke, Morias
Ross County: Baxter, Fraser (c), Kelly, Fontaine, Morris, Henderson, Spence (Chalmers 71), Mullin, McKay, Graham (Erwin 78), Stewart (Spittal 58)
Subs Not Used: Laidlaw, Watson, Foster, Paton
Referee: Euan Anderson
Assistant Referee: David McGeachie
Assistant Referee: Ralph Gordon
Fourth Official: William Collum
Attendance: 4,708
