Killian Phillips scored twice as St Mirren opened their Scottish Premiership season with an impressive 2-0 victory over Falkirk, handing Craig McLeish a winning league debut.
The visitors took control in the first half when Phillips found the net from a tight angle at the near post, giving the Paisley side a deserved lead after a confident opening spell.
Falkirk believed they had drawn level shortly after the restart when substitute Ben Parkinson scored with his first touch.
However, after a lengthy VAR review, referee Duncan Nicolson overturned the goal after being advised to inspect the pitchside monitor.
Officials ruled that Deniss Melniks had handled the ball in the build-up, sparking controversy as the equaliser was disallowed.
Despite the setback for the hosts, St Mirren had already created enough chances to put the game beyond doubt before the interval.
Phillips came close to doubling his tally after a slick passing move carved Falkirk open, but goalkeeper Scott Bain produced an excellent save.
Moments later, youngster Eseosa Sule capitalised on a loose back pass only to be denied in a one-on-one opportunity.
Those missed chances ultimately proved costly for Falkirk rather than St Mirren.
Deep into the second half, Roland Idowu broke clear on the counterattack before selflessly squaring for Phillips, whose deflected finish rolled beyond Bain to secure all three points.
Although Falkirk finished sixth last season compared to St Mirren's 11th-place finish, the visitors looked the more polished side throughout.
McLeish's arrival has brought a more possession-based, attacking approach to Paisley, and there were encouraging signs of what his team could become.
Their intricate move leading to Phillips' first-half chance highlighted the quick, flowing football the new manager is trying to implement.
With summer arrivals including Samuel Ramos, Rangers loanee Paul Nsio and Chris Mochrie adding quality to the squad, St Mirren appear better equipped to execute that vision.
For Falkirk, the defeat underlined the scale of the challenge following a summer of major departures.
Influential figures Calvin Miller, Barney Stewart, Filip Lisa and Dylan Tait have all moved on, leaving manager John McGlynn with significant gaps to fill after last season's remarkable top-six finish and Scottish Cup semi-final run.
The hosts did create opportunities through Jack McMillan, Finn Yeats and Ross MacIver, but a lack of clinical finishing prevented them from getting back into the contest.
If Falkirk are to avoid a difficult campaign, converting those chances will be essential.
