St Kilda scored an uninspiring 20 point win over a wayward kicking Gold Coast on Saturday night to push deeper into AFL finals territory.

The Saints' threatened to blow the game open a number of times but had to settle for a 10.14 (74) to 6.18 (54) victory at Metricon Stadium.

The win allowed the Saints to overtake Fremantle and move into seventh spot, but equal on points with sixth placed Sydney which have a bye.

St Kilda opened the match with the first three goals and it wasn't until deep into time in the first quarter Gold Coast ruckman Zac Smith finally scored the Suns' first major.

A similar pattern unfolded in the second term, when the Suns got within eight points, the Saints went on another three goal streak to open up a 23 point advantage.

Even in the last quarter when St Kilda skipped 34 points clear the Suns showed plenty of fight to kick the last two goals of the match.

Only inaccuracy prevented the Suns from being much closer, possibly leading, at half time.

They kicked 2.7 in the second quarter which undone a mountain of good work from midfielders Gary Ablett and David Swallow.

Despite having 74 fewer disposals for the opening half, the Suns went inside their forward 50m 29 times, just one fewer than the Saints.

Each time the Saints looked as though they would take hold of the match, the Suns to their credit rallied.

St Kilda did enough to warrant victory but given some of the sides fancied to take out this year's premiership have recorded more impressive wins over the Suns, they may still only be making up the numbers in September.

Without skipper Nick Riewoldt because of suspension, the Saints fell down across half forward while at the same time Gold Coast defender Nathan Bock had an outstanding night.

He finished with 28 touches, only second to Ablett who had 34 disposals, and even had a shot at goal late in the match which would have put the Suns within 14 points.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said they could have opened up a commanding lead in the first term.

"We dominated the first and could have - not put the game away, but put a lot of scoreboard pressure on," Lyon said.

"Then the second quarter they got on top but they had the same issues - it was very greasy."

Lyon said the game was "comical at times" but none more than late in the second quarter when unmarked St Kilda forward Adam Schneider fell over while about to take a chest mark.

Suns defender Karmichael Hunt, who was bearing down on Schneider, then dived over the top of the falling Saint.

The ball bounced away and Hunt pursued, picking the ball up only to be tackled by Schneider.

The ball spilled free and Suns defender Maverick Weller then soccered the ball with full force straight into the groin of teammate Rory Thompson who then dropped as if shot.

"A few of our blokes were open and had sitters and fell over, so it was a little bit comical at times," Lyon said.

Suns coach Guy McKenna said their sluggish start, in which the Saints kicked the opening three goals, cost them the game.

"After the first 17 minutes, we lost the game by six points," McKenna said.

"We beat Collingwood last week in the last quarter and we beat St Kilda this week in the last quarter."

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