Quite how we only took a point from this one is a bit of a mystery to me. St Johnstone may have scored after a quarter of an hour but we were the better side before that and probably just edged the first half. By the break the Saintees had lost Steven Anderson to a red card for a last man challenge and we bombarded them before Chris Millar was also sent on his way for a second booking. Paul Dummett quickly had us level before we absolutely battered the Saintees, only to come up short in our quest to find an equaliser. I'd have been quite happy with a draw before the game but in the circumstances it's definitely a case of two points dropped rather than one gained.
It wasn't a surprise to see two changes in the home team, Jim Goodwin and Steven Thompson returning at the expense of Sam Parkin and Jon Robertson. The latter was perhaps unlucky after scoring a screamer against Brechin but Goodwin's status as captain meant he was always likely to come straight back in. Also left kicking his heels was Nigel Hasselbaink, St Johnstone no doubt hoping to use him as a game changing sub. Instead it was the equally mercurial Gregory Tade who started alongside Steven MacLean, with the likes of Murray Davidson and Liam Craig a threat from midfield.
Early indications that we might be able to do something were good as we passed the ball about with purpose. When the St Johnstone defence left a cross field pass Dummett nipped in and pulled the ball back for John McGinn, who was desperately unlucky to be denied his first senior goal by a fine Alan Mannus save. Despite being hurt by Craig in the past we decided the best way to deal with him was to leave him unmarked in the box, a cunning ploy that almost came undone when Tade picked him out with a cross, but he headed over.
The next Saintees cross brought more joy. Tade played the ball back to Callum Davidson and he fired it into the box, Craig helping it on its way before Murray Davidson headed home. It was a decent delivery from the more experienced of the Davidsons but it was a poor goal to lose. We tried to respond, McGinn drilling a shot into the advertising boards after another decent Dummett pass. McGinn was looking lively but also a bit too keen to impress and try to do everything himself. With St Johnstone getting men forward at every opportunity they looked dangerous, Steven MacLean bringing a good save from Samson as they looked to extend their advantage. Tade was always likely to cause us problems and Marc McAusland decided the best way to try to stop him was to trip and block him. A good idea but sadly against the rules and it got him a booking that came with a one match ban.
After Craig shot over from the edge of the box a slide pass from Kenny McLean gave Lewis Guy a sight of goal but he too shot over while under pressure from Steven Anderson. Chris Millar did likewise for the visitors, lashing a knockdown well over. Having dealt with Guy once before Anderson probably fancied doing so again, but this time got things horribly wrong when he tangled with the forward after he'd got through on goal. It was a clear red card and ref Bobby Madden agreed, McLean being desperately unlucky to see his low free-kick tipped away at the last second by Mannus. Craig then found the wrong side of the net with a fee-kick from rather further out.
It had been an even game and we were unfortunate not to be level at the break, especially after being handed a terrific opportunity to equalise. Gary Teale took a free-kick short to McGinn and he did well to get away from two men before rattling the bar. The ball fell perfectly for McAusland but he duffed his effort wide. It pretty much summed up his afternoon and he was hooked at the break, replaced by Dougie Imrie. St Johnstone tightened things up, forward Rowan Vine replaced by Tam Scobbie as they reorganised things to make up for the loss of Anderson. We'd also changed shape and Dummett got Millar a booking when he ran straight into the midfielder after nipping the ball past him.
We were beginning to exert some real pressure on the Saintees defence, not a surprise considering we were a man up, and Guy headed wide from an Imrie cross that was just begging to be met by Thompson instead. The visitors hadn't exactly been averse to time wasting when they had a full compliment of players and were now doing everything possible to run the clock down, taking forever over goal-kicks and throw ins. The fact the officials seemed happy to let them away with it - and even join in at times - just made things worse. After we somehow managed to let Frazer Wright charge forward and beat the offside trap before the defender remembered where he was and got lost we made the traditional change when things aren't working of replacing Guy with Parkin.
We were quickly level in somewhat bizarre circumstances. McGinn went on a run before being caught from behind by Millar and he was able to join Anderson on the sidelines as he was shown a second yellow. God knows if Imrie tried to shoot or cross with the free-kick but it was awful, the ball eventually spinning to McLean whose shot was kept out by Mannus before Dummett arrived to hammer the rebound home. It was the least we deserved and we then had a real battle of the Saints in the goalmouth, Wright, Teale and Goodwin all being booked.
Despite our record against nine men in blue shirts being patchy at best we were now on the ascendancy, Teale somehow firing over from 10 yards before van Zanten tested Mannus with a left footed shot from distance. We were throwing everything at them in a bid to find a winner, Parkin's knock down finding McGinn whose shot went inches the wrong side of the post. Inviting balls from van Zanten were nodded wide by Thompsom and then Parkin as Thomas Reilly came on for Teale. What he was expected to do in the last five minutes I don't know but we almost had the lead seconds later only for Thompson to see his attempt cleared off the line by Wright. As stoppage time began McLean headed a corner wide and that was as close as we were to come. An opportunity missed, but at least the unbeaten run goes on.
Follow Mirren Mad on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mirrenmad
Follow Mirren Mad on Twitter @mirren_mad or http://www.twitter.com/mirren_mad