St Johnstone and Aberdeen failed to produce a goal between them on a night of a few chances but no takers at McDiarmid Park.

Aberdeen brought a large following down with them and were almost treated to a goal within 30 seconds.

The quality of the move deserved a finish. It was started by Eoin Jess, given a touch of class by Arild Stavrum's back-heel and set up by Robbie Winters' cross from the left which eluded the home defence.

But Alex di Rocco, the on-loan striker, could not supply the finish and instead poked an unchallenged shot over the bar.

Little did the onlookers realise that they had already witnessed the best chance of the evening as the match drifted in and out of a torpor occasionally enlivened by some bad tackling.

Saints did create a few chances before the break, with teenage prodigy Keigan Parker lively but limited to a few shots that goalkeeper Ryan Esson was able to deal with.

Momo Sylla went one better with a low effort that skidded off the turf and forced Esson to dive to divert it to safety.

Craig Russell headed a free-kick over the bar; Jim Weir found the side-netting from a corner, and Paul Kane fired across goal and wide.

Aberdeen, who had to reshuffle the defence on 25 minutes when Derek Whyte limped off to be replaced by Thomas Solberg, had other first-half chances too - and theirs were the more eye-catching.

Twice a Saints defender was needed to slide in to prevent a tap-in; first Weir stopped Stavrum setting up di Rocco, and then Stuart McCluskey repaid the compliment after Weir had gifted possession on the edge of the box.

Stavrum fired an unchallenged header from a Winters cross at goalkeeper Alan Main, and David Rowson did the same with a long-range shot as it became obvious the first 45 minutes were destined to remain scoreless.

Kane was booked for dissent following an obvious foul on Winters, and not long afterwards Darren Young's name was taken after he upended Nick Dasovic.

Preston manager David Moyes was in the crowd, presumably to have a look at Parker and Jess.

Jess almost provided the goal the game needed so badly when Main spilled his shot.

Di Rocco was first to the loose ball but could not get a shot in - and that was also the case when he beat the goalkeeper to a quickly taken free-kick.

Sylla was closer when he turned in the box to get a shot in but saw his effort bounce narrowly wide.

Parker was making little headway - twice he crashed to the ground under robust challenges and twice goal-kicks were awarded.

Dasovic almost broke the deadlock with a header that needed a save - by his own goalkeeper. At the other end, Philip McGuire, almost went one better when his slice only just cleared Esson's crossbar.

Substitute Paddy Connolly saw one shot go wide and another saved by Esson, and Sylla was also off target.

Winters did put the ball into the back of the net. But the whistle had long gone, and Jess - with all the goal to aim at - could produce only an inaccurate shot instead of the late winner the opportunity deserved.

There was almost a surprise ending as the ball appeared to hit a Saints hand in the box following a stoppage-time corner, but the only whistle that followed was the one that finally ended it all.