A pitiful first half Perth performance got exactly what it deserved.
But Drey Wright saved the day after the break in Ayrshire with a sweet right-footed drive into the bottom corner.
The hosts could - and should - have been out of sight after the opening 45 minutes but Saints somehow found a way back into the contest to bag a point.
Callum Davidson’s side remain eighth in the Premiership, seven points ahead of Killie.
Theo Bair was handed a rare start - his first since October - to partner Stevie May in the forward department.
In the middle of the park, Dan Phillips remained out through suspension. Cammy MacPherson, Melker Hallberg and Graham Carey were tasked with patrolling that area.
James Brown slotted in at left wing-back and, on the opposite flank, Wright was in familiar surroundings.
Centrally in defence were Alex Mitchell, Liam Gordon and Andy Considine. As usual, Remi Matthews was positioned between the posts.
Matthews could not afford to switch off in the early exchanges. It really was all Kilmarnock.
Saints were lucky if they had managed to string two passes together in the opening half hour and Daniel Armstrong alone had gone close on three occasions.
First with a free-kick which Matthews palmed clear on eight minutes and, later, he ghosted in at the back post to force another save.
Even closer was when Brown dithered on clearing and allowed the alert winger to nip in and send the ball trundling towards the net. It edged the wrong side of the post.
Saints had already been let off the hook when VAR intervened to rule out a Kyle Vassell goal.
The inevitable arrived on 38 minutes. Killie, deservedly, made the breakthrough.
Jones, a menace all afternoon, sent a deep free-kick swinging towards the back post. Matthews misjudged the flight of the ball and Wright touched in from close range.
Not long after Brown was taken off, replaced by Connor McLennan.
On the stroke of half-time there was a rare Saints chance but Melker Hallberg blasted over from a promising position. There simply had to be a reaction after the break.
A couple of promising breaks forward, yes, but home goalkeeper Sam Walker was still having a comfortable afternoon.
David Wotherspoon and Zak Rudden were sent on just after the hour mark, replacing Carey and Bair. It still looked a struggle to find a way through.
With 70 minutes on the clock, however, a break forward resulted in Rudden’s shot from a promising position being blocked.
The ball fell for Wright who proceeded to rifle a beautiful, stinging shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards. That was enough to rescue a point.
Fraser Murray almost put Killie back in front with a low, curling effort in the last minute but Matthews tipped the ball around the post.
