St Mirren's start to their Betfred Cup campaign has given boss Jim Goodwin hope that his side have the necessary character for the season ahead but he knows there are things they must improve.

The Paisley side defeated Partick Thistle 4-1 in midweek and then clinched a penalty shoot-out bonus point after a 2-2 draw away to Queen of the South.

Those results, however, masked two patchy performances and Goodwin knows his team will need to play better when they return to league duty.

He said: "We've enjoyed the cup games but it's back to business now in the most important competition, which is the league.

"It was nice to get four goals the other night although the scoreline flattered us. And on Saturday we left it late (to get a draw) and could have lost the game.

"So I'm not saying we're going to walk away from the cup games with a load of confidence.

"But it gives me hope that the character is there and the boys aren't just going to chuck the towel in. But there are things we've learned from both games that we'll need to do better at."