Match ends, St. Johnstone 0, Hamilton Academical 0.
St Johnstone 0-0 Hamilton Academical
By Liam McLeod
BBC Scotland at McDiarmid Park
- From the section Football
St Johnstone and Hamilton Academical contested a goalless stalemate on a poor McDiarmid Park surface.
With star striker and Rangers target Michael O'Halloran rested, the draw was the fifth successive game in which Saints have failed to score.
The dominant hosts saw Graham Cummins and Craig Thomson miss in either half.
Carlton Morris hacked John Sutton's late header off the line. Accies lie level on points with 11th-placed Kilmarnock, with a game in hand.
The match survived a morning pitch inspection and both teams struggled on the heavy surface, prolonging their winless respective runs - five for Saints, seven for Accies.
There was a glaring omission in the Saints' starting line-up with manager Tommy Wright admitting O'Halloran was not mentally ready for the match amid speculation he is on the brink of a move to Rangers.
Accies player-boss Martin Canning had considered selecting himself, though a midweek training ground knock ruled him out of a side embarrassed by bottom tier Annan Athletic in the Scottish Cup a week ago.
The visitors started like they meant business with Greg Docherty's deflected effort going wide.
Saints went close with MacLean's header flashing just over and Cummins ought to have done better with a shot after a clever dummy by Murray Davidson.
As a poor first half wore on, Saints began to control proceedings without putting Accies keeper Michael McGovern under much duress.
As he had done at the start of the half, Docherty from distance again, this time forcing the first save of the match from Alan Mannus.
It took till beyond the hour mark for any kind of second half action of note as both sides had attempts.
Wotherspoon and Darian MacKinnon traded shots which both went wide before Thomson - on his first Saints start volleyed over.
Accies looked unperturbed by last week's meek capitulation the longer the match wore on and Gramoz Kurtaj spurned an opportunity after cutting in from the wing but his effort was blocked on the line.
Sub Carlton Morris headed just over as the visitors pressed for a winner, and both teams had hand-ball penalty appeals turned down by referee Andrew Dallas.
Firstly Steven Anderson blocked a cross ball before a John Sutton flick appeared to bounce off the arm of Ziggy Gordon in the opposite penalty area - the St Johnstone argument looked the stronger of the two.
Sub Sutton thought he had scored and but for Gordon's goal-line intervention he probably would have done as the clock ticked down.
There will be a frustration from both sides that victory eluded them with Accies having now won just once in their last 13, though they do at least move a point further away from Dundee United at the bottom of the Premiership.
Line-ups
St Johnstone
- 1Mannus
- 14Shaughnessy
- 2Mackay
- 6Anderson
- 24Easton
- 10Wotherspoon
- 8Davidson
- 4LappinSubstituted forCraigat 77'minutes
- 27Thomson
- 9MacLeanSubstituted forSuttonat 83'minutes
- 18CumminsSubstituted forKaneat 72'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Scobbie
- 11Sutton
- 12Clark
- 16Caddis
- 22Fisher
- 25Kane
- 26Craig
Hamilton
- 1McGovern
- 2Gordon
- 4Devlin
- 44De Lima TagliapietraBooked at 47mins
- 3Kurakins
- 18MacKinnon
- 21Docherty
- 22LyonSubstituted forGillespieat 76'minutesBooked at 78mins
- 12Kurtaj
- 11Crawford
- 9D'AcolSubstituted forMorrisat 76'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Gillespie
- 14Morris
- 20Brophy
- 24Tena
- 26Martin
- 27Nade
- 28Mandiangu
- Referee:
- Andrew Dallas
- Attendance:
- 2,685
Match Stats
Home TeamSt JohnstoneAway TeamHamilton
- Possession
- Home55%
- Away45%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away2
- Corners
- Home10
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away15
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, St. Johnstone 0, Hamilton Academical 0.
Hand ball by Michael Devlin (Hamilton Academical).
Foul by Murray Davidson (St. Johnstone).
(Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Murray Davidson (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the top right corner.
Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Ziggy Gordon.
Joe Shaughnessy (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical).
Substitution
Substitution, St. Johnstone. John Sutton replaces Steven MacLean.
Attempt missed. Craig Thomson (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high following a corner.
Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Grant Gillespie.
Substitution
Substitution, Hamilton Academical. Grant Gillespie replaces Darren Lyon.
Attempt missed. Carlton Morris (Hamilton Academical) header from very close range is just a bit too high.
Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Craig Thomson.
Booking
Grant Gillespie (Hamilton Academical) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Murray Davidson (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Grant Gillespie (Hamilton Academical).
Substitution
Substitution, St. Johnstone. Liam Craig replaces Simon Lappin.
Substitution
Substitution, Hamilton Academical. Carlton Morris replaces Alejandro D'Acol.
Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Ziggy Gordon.
Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by David Mackay.
Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Craig Thomson.
Substitution
Substitution, St. Johnstone. Christopher Kane replaces Graham Cummins.
Attempt missed. Gramoz Kurtaj (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Hand ball by Graham Cummins (St. Johnstone).
Attempt missed. Craig Thomson (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Joe Shaughnessy (St. Johnstone) header from the centre of the box misses to the right following a corner.
Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Ziggy Gordon.
Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Joe Shaughnessy.
Attempt blocked. Darian MacKinnon (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ziggy Gordon (Hamilton Academical).
Foul by Craig Thomson (St. Johnstone).
Gramoz Kurtaj (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Murray Davidson (St. Johnstone).
Gramoz Kurtaj (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.