Saints battled to a hard-fought point against Dundee at the SMiSA Stadium after having to play the final half hour with 10 men.
The first-half was a non-event, although both sides missed a sitter. Cameron Congreve was the guilty party for Dundee, unable to slot home after Shamal George fumbled a cross, before Richard King put his shot wide at the other end after a superb Saints counter attack.
The Buddies improved after the break but just after failing to get the break of the ball at a penalty box scramble they were reduced to 10 men, Jake Young show a straight red for his challenge on Brad Halliday. That seemed to galvanise Saints and they had the better of the chances when Dan Nlundulu crossed for fellow sub Mikael Mandron but he put it wide while under pressure.
It was a much changed Saints team to the one which had drawn at Livingston 10 days ago. There was a new look strikeforce in the shape of January recruits Jake Young and Kion Etete with Tunmise Sobowale handed his first league start and Scott Tanser also coming into the side. Declan John, Conor McMenamin, Mikael Mandron and Jayden Richardson were the four who made way. The visitors handed a debut to Brad Halliday and Joel Cotterill made his first start, with the dangerous Simon Murray leading the attack.
Saints had an early let off when Shamal George failed to gather Tony Yogane's cross, the ball falling invitingly for Cameron Congreve but he could only stab it wide with the goal at his mercy. The Buddies had a tremendous chance when they broke from a Dundee corner, Etete carrying the ball forward before sliding it out wide for the charging Alex Gogic. He delivered a cross to Richard King at the back post and he looked set to fire Saints in front but fluffed his lines and sent his effort wide.
Halliday's attempt to mark his Dundee debut with a goal was deflected wide and although the first corner was dealt with, the second delivery sat up invitingly for Drey Wright at the edge of the box but he lashed it miles off target. Ethan Hamilton and Yan Dhada at least found the target with their shots from distance but both were straight at George. In between, Young did well to charge into the visitors' box before going down under the challenge of a defender, however both ref Nick Walsh and VAR were unmoved by the penalty appeals – which seemed to come more from the Saints support rather than the players.
There was a double change for Saints at the break, Mandron and Richardson replacing Etete and Sobiwale. That led to the home side's brightest spell of the match so far, although they were unable to use it to create much with it, Tanser's go on the half volley from the edge of the box straight down the throat of Dee keeper Jon McCracken. At the other end, Congreve got the better of his man to send in a teasing ball that Marcus Fraser – making his 250th Saints appearance – put behind. Some penalty box pinball from a Saints corner saw the ball eventually break to Roland Idowu at the edge of the area, his shot taking a couple of deflections on its way through to McCracken.
Just as Saints seemed to be building some momentum, they were dealt a huge blow when Young was shown a straight red for a challenge on Halliday – ref Nick Walsh wasting no time in giving the striker his marching orders with VAR confirming his decision. Murray headed wide at the back post as the visitors looked to make their advantage count before Saints went close on the break, Gogic releasing sub Dan Nlundulu whose cross found Mandron but he was unable to turn it home. That proved to be the closest either side would come, the teams having to make do with a point apiece that does neither side any favours.
Full-Time: St Mirren 0-0 Dundee
St Mirren: George, Fraser (c), King, Freckleton, Sobowale (Richardson 46), Phillips, Gogic, Tanser (Nlundulu 78), Idowu (Campbell 73), Etete (Mandron 46), Young
Subs: Mullen, John, Donnelly, McMenamin, Calvin
Dundee: McCracken, Astley, Graham, Halliday, Wright, Dhanda, Hamilton, Cotterill (Jones 83), Yogane (Bevan 73), Congreve (Reilly 73), Murray (c)
Subs: O'Hara, Ingram, Donnelly, Digby, Robertson, Samuels
Referee: Nick Walsh
AR1: Daniel McFarlane
AR2: Ross Anderson
Fourth Official: Colin Steven
VAR: John Beaton
Attendance: 6,461
