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St Johnstone and Kilmarnock could not find a winner between them as they played out a stale goalless draw at McDiarmid Park.

The home side had the better of the first half with Michael O'Halloran and David Wotherspoon forcing saves from Killie keeper Craig Samson.

In a more even second half both goalkeepers had to be on top form to keep the scores level.

And Samson denied O'Halloran again in the dying seconds.

The game was hard fought but lacked any real quality on the sodden pitch, with a draw doing neither side any favours in the race for a top six spot.

After hitting six goals in their last two games, Kilmarnock were confident they could add to that tally and looked the more likely of the two teams early on with Nathan Eccleston and Chris Johnston both testing the home side early.

However, Saints slowly took control of the game, bursting forward in numbers from midfield and stretching the Killie backline.

O'Halloran squeezed between two defenders and fired a shot off the legs of Samson before Steven MacLean rattled the rebound off a defender.

Wotherspoon and MacLean kept the goalkeeper working as they continued on the front foot, and Chris Kane thought he should have had a penalty after he fell to the turf following a storming O'Halloran run, only to instead be booked for diving.

St Johnstone's Frazer Wright required treatment after an accidental clash with team-mate Steven Anderson

It was one-way traffic with Chris Millar and Dave Mackay also getting in on the act - putting efforts wide - but Kilmarnock sprung forward on the counter attack and only a fine save from Alan Mannus stopped Tope Obadeyi breaking the deadlock with a fierce drive from outside the box.

Kane, irked by his first-half yellow card, was again complaining in referee Euan Anderson's ear when Manuel Pascali's challenge also did not lead to a penalty.

The sense of injustice did not initially spark a sustained onslaught from the home side and Josh Magennis and Eccleston both kept Mannus busy at the other end.

O'Halloran had a curling effort turned wide, but St Johnstone's failure to keep possession kept opening up opportunities for Gary Locke's men and Eccleston almost found the inside of the near post after holding off a crowd of defenders.

It was anyone's game to win going into the final 15 minutes. Murray Davidson volleyed right at Samson, but then Kilmarnock were denied four times within seconds of each other.

Johnston, Eccleston twice and Magennis all fired in goalbound efforts but none of them could find a way past Mannus.

Tommy Wright's men made one last push forward, and Wotherspoon's cross was inches away from finding Brian Graham at the back post, but there was drama right at the death when Samson spilled Danny Swanson's free-kick into the path of O'Halloran, but he could not adjust his body to get any power or direction on his shot.