Derek McInnes admitted St Johnstone could not have had two more unlikely heroes as Steven Anderson and Danny Grainger finally ended their wait for a Clydesdale Bank Premier League victory.

Anderson scored on his SPL debut, while Grainger netted a stunning first goal for the club to seal their 2-0 win at Hamilton.

The richly-deserved result lifted promoted Saints off the foot of the table and above their opponents, and boss McInnes was as delighted with a first clean sheet of the campaign as with his scorers.

He said of the shutout: "It gives us a platform to win a game.

"I always feel that we will create and score. I feel that I've got players who can win games for us."

But McInnes could not have predicted centre-half Anderson would be on hand to nod home from close range or that left-back Grainger would unleash a thunderous 25-yard strike with his weaker right foot.

McInnes said: "(They are) probably the two most unlikely players that you'd pick to win you a game.

"But Ando was where he should have been at the set piece and gets the ball over the line and Danny Grainger, I don't think, will ever score a better goal in his career."

Free-scoring Saints have earned plenty of plaudits for their performances this season and McInnes believes they have played better in defeat.

He said: "We picked a team today that was there to battle and scrap.

"I think we did that. I don't think we were as polished and slick - far from it - as we have been.

"But in terms of getting points and showing a desire to get the points, we were terrific.

"The players and the supporters have earned that today and I hope they enjoy their weekend because they've worked hard for that."

He added: "I've banged on for the last couple of weeks how you would sacrifice the performance for the result.

"Too many Saturdays, we've felt aggrieved and felt we haven't got we've deserved at times."

Despite Saints' six-match winless run following promotion from the Irn-Bru First Division, McInnes never wavered in his belief they have what it takes to survive.

"We've worked hard to get the club back to the SPL," he said.

"I feel as though we've got a squad capable of staying there but we need to meet that challenge week in, week out."

Strikers Steven Milne (ankle) and Kenny Deuchar (hamstring) were both forced off injured today, while Murray Davidson failed a fitness test yesterday.

"Thankfully, we've got two weeks now before we play Rangers," said McInnes.

He added: "If you're down there at the bottom and you don't get the right result today, it's a long two weeks.

"I think we can go into the break now on the back of a good result and take confidence from it."

Opposite number Billy Reid felt the swirling wind contributed to his side's downfall as they slipped to second-bottom of the table.

"It was a horrible game, I think it was horrible conditions," he said.

"We spoke about set-pieces before the game being a factor and it was evident.

"There was nothing in the game. They were probably slightly the better team in the first half, although we probably came closest to scoring.

"Then, right on 45 minutes, they've had a scrambled set-piece."

Reid added: "We didn't get a break of the ball - maybe didn't deserve a break of the ball.

"We're always liable to be hit on the break and the guy's scored the wonder-goal - and that's the difference between the two sides."