WITH the rest of the First Division card losing its battle with the freezing weekend conditions, league leaders St Johnstone failed to capitalise on the opportunity to go seven points clear at the top when they were held to their third straight draw at home to Queen of the South.
In contrast, the point was a relief for visiting manager Gordon Chisholm as it ended a four-game losing streak.
The home side edged affairs in terms of chances but despite the dropped points, St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes was keen to talk up
the performance of his players.
"The players were magnificent in the second half and they put in a huge effort to try and win the game, so I am disappointed for them that we only drew," said McInnes.
"Our delivery from crosses could have been a wee bit better, but Gordon Chisholm's side have their own aspirations in this league and they defended well."
That Queens defence, expertly marshalled by Jim Thomson, did indeed perform well to deny the home side a goal, however, the Perth side were guilty of passing up several goalscoring opportunities.
The best of which arrived in the 12th minute when a series of errors presented former Hearts striker Derek Holmes with a glimpse of goal, but he could only fire over the crossbar.
A rare mistake by St Johnstone's veteran goalkeeper Alan Main presented the visitors with the chance to take a lead shortly before half-time.
The 41-year-old flapped at a Paul Burns corner and Thomson headed it back towards goal for striker Stewart Kean, who got a touch to the ball but could only flick it wide from close range.
A good opening was carved out on the hour mark when Liam Craig's deflected effort fell for St Johnstone striker Steven Milne inside the box whose shot on the spun didn't lack for power but the ball fizzed past the post and out for a goal-kick.
Cameron Bell then took his turn to survive a nervous moment in the Queens goal seven minutes later when he fumbled Gary Irvine's cross into the path of Chris Millar whose subsequent shot was bound for the goal until some last-gasp defending sent the ball spinning wide.
The visitors had had the ball in the back of the net as early as the eighth minute when Thomson prodded home following a Steve Tosh corner, however, referee Mike Tumilty called play back for a push by Craig Barr on St Johnstone's Stuart McCaffrey.
And Tumilty was to even up that score late on as Milne resorted to foul means to break the deadlock for St Johnstone with nine minutes remaining. The former Dundee striker robbed Bell of the ball as he bounced it prior to kicking clear, and Milne fired into the empty net.
Tumilty was quick to blow for the infringement, but Milne was still outraged after the match that effort had been disallowed.
"Their keeper was bouncing the ball and as he let go he wasn't in possession. It was a goal," argued Milne. "It would have been different if he threw it up to kick it but he'd let it go and wasn't in possession. I hit it on the half-volley as it was on the ground – if it's on the ground, we should be allowed to kick it. I was surprised it didn't stand as I've scored like that for the reserves. The ref got it wrong and it cost us." Despite Milne's protestations, Fifa rules on such matters are clear. A goalkeeper is deemed to be in control of the ball "while in the act of bouncing it on the ground or tossing it into the air".
And the argument was a moot point for Queens manager Chisholm who clearly felt a late St Johnstone goal would have been harsh on his side.
"No-one can say we did not deserve something," he said. "We kept a clean sheet under a fair amount of pressure and still made a couple of chances at the other end. Hopefully this will give the lads confidence to climb the table again."
