Saints and Motherwell shared the points but no goals in the first league game of the season at The SMiSA Stadium.
The first-half was pretty much a non-event, despite Mark O'Hara threatening for Saints inside the first minute. Ibrahim Said went closest for the visitors, his shot being blocked by Shamal George.
The second-half was a slight improvement, Mikael Mandron and O'Hara seeing shots blocked and Callum Slattery testing George with a long range free-kick. Alex Gogic almost broke the deadlock with a fine header, but it was tipped over the bar by Calum Ward who also kept out late shots from Killian Phillips and Keanu Baccus.
The Australian midfielder came straight into the Saints side after returning to Paisley during the week, with Miguel Freckleton also handed a debut. Dropping out were Fraser Taylor and Richard King, who had to be content with places on the bench. Stephen O'Donnell came in for the visitors, who also handed a debut to Ibrahim Said, with Apostolos Stamatelopoulos dropping to the bench and Liam Gordon missing out through injury.
Keanu Baccus started upon his return to Saints (Image: Jeff Holmes)
Mark O'Hara could have given Saints a dream start inside the first minute, Killian Phillips and Mikael Mandron heading the ball on for the Saints skipper but his half-volley went wide. It took another 20 minutes for the next chance of note as both sides struggled to create anything until some slick passing play got Ibrahim Said in behind the Saints defence, however Shamal George made himself big and blocked the shot. A series of Saints corners failed to provide an opening before John Koutroumbis lashed a shot wide after a Motherwell corner was only cleared as far as the edge of the box.
The visitors were definitely looking more of a threat in the final third, Tawanda Maswanhise turning away from Marcus Fraser before curling a shot wide. Alex Gogic and Jayden Richardson were both booked before the break, the latter being replaced at the interval by Tunmise Sobowale as Evan Mooney came on for Roland Idowu.
Chances were still at a premium as hostilities resumed. A poor kick-out from Motherwell goalie Calum Ward gave Saints half a chance, Mooney playing in Mandron but both his and O'Hara's efforts were blocked. Fraser was booked for fouling Maswanhise 35-yards out as he tried to make up from a mistake, Callum Slattery's free-kick stinging the palms of George. That proved the end of Fraser's involvement as he, O'Hara and Fraser were soon replaced by Conor McMenamin, Jonah Ayunga and Richard King. Ayunga got involved immediately, teeing up Baccus to find Mooney who was unable to get a good contact with the ball and it went wide.
Ward was finally called into action with less than 12 minutes left, reacting brilliantly to turn Gogic's header from McMenamin's cross over the bar.
Gogic came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock (Image: Jeff Holmes)
As the game entered its final stages, both Phillips and Baccus tried their luck but Ward as equal to both shots, before George easily gathered a header from Motherwell sub Apostolos Stamatelopoulos as the points were shared.
Full-Time: St Mirren 0-0 Motherwell
St Mirren: George, Fraser (King 67), Gogic, Freckleton, Richardson (Sobowale 46), Phillips, Baccus, O'Hara (c) (McMenamin 67), John, Idowu (Mooney 46), Mandron (Ayunga 67)
Subs Not Used: Mullen, Tanser, Taylor, Calvin
Motherwell: Ward, Koutroumbis (Sparrow 42), McGinn (c), O'Donnell, Longelo, Watt, Slattery, Fadinger, Maswanhise (Ross 86), Just, Said (Stamatelopoulos 71)
Subs Not Used: Oxborough, Balmer, Halliday, Wilson, Forrest, Gillies
Referee: Ross Hardie
Assistant Referee: Paul McAvinue
Assistant Referee: Scott Anderson
Fourth Official: Daniel Graves
VAR: Greg Aitken
Attendance: 6,735
