Dundee United extended their recent unbeaten run to four games at St Mirren last night after securing a draw which also kept them in the SPL top six.
Once again, the Tangerines proved to be the comeback kings, twice coming from behind to pick up a point.
In a game dominated by the gales battering Scotland, all the goals came in a whirlwind nine-minute spell in the first half.
Saints’ Steven Thompson opened the scoring, Jon Daly equalised for United before Graham Carey edged St Mirren back in front. However, Stuart Armstrong drew the Tangerines level for a second time.
Despite the result, United boss Peter Houston was adamant that the match should not have gone ahead because of the wind.
He said: ”I still say after what was a thrilling match that we should be looking at calling games off when the wind is so high. I think both sets of players worked really hard and deserve great credit I think they served up a great spectacle.
”But I have said to the boys in the dressing-room ‘please go in front and make other sides have to catch us’. They have shown great spirit and attitude though to come back once again.”
Houston selected the same team for the third game in succession with just one change on the bench with Willo Flood coming in for Lauri Dalla Valle.
St Mirren boss Danny Lennon also kept faith with the same starting XI that beat Rangers on Christmas Eve.
United had a big shout for a penalty in just 40 seconds when Kenny McLean tied himself in knots inside his own penalty box as he attempted to clear a John Rankin cross and seemed to handle the ball but referee Craig Thomson was not interested.
Despite the tricky conditions, both sets of players at least attempted to play football in the opening stages with a lot of crisp, short passing.
However, it was a bit of a big lump forward from Scott Robertson sporting a particularly severe haircut that he must have regretted on such a cold night that presented United with their next opportunity with the ball falling to in-form striker Daly on the edge of the St Mirren penalty area.
The Irishman spun and cracked a shot which Craig Samson did well to save diving to his left.
Saints were next on the attack on 11 minutes when Aaron Mooy, who scored against Rangers, latched onto a blocked free-kick and fired in a shot from 20 yards which flew just inches past Dusan Pernis’s left-hand post.
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And the United keeper had to look lively shortly after when Paul McLean tried his luck from distance with the ball swerving all over the place, making life difficult for Pernis who nervously parried to safety.
The stopper had an even bigger scare on 22 minutes when Thompson hit what was an attempted cross from the St Mirren left.
It looked like it would be a bread and butter catch for the keeper but the ball swerved viciously at the last second and Pernis had to pull off an outstanding backward diving save to prevent a certain goal.
However, the keeper was helpless to stop St Mirren taking the lead in the 26th minute.
Carey tried his luck from the edge of the United box but mishit his shot. Unfortunately for United, it fell into the path of Thompson who deflected it past Pernis from 12 yards.
Just four minutes later, United equalised when Paul Dixon fired in a ball from the left and Daly was on hand to bundle it home from close range.
Houston would have been hoping his side could consolidate but they fell behind again on 32 minutes when Carey hit a cracking shot from the angle of the United area which flew into the top corner of Pernis’s net.
Saints’ lead lasted just three minutes with United again storming straight back, this time with Gary Mackay-Steven crossing from the left for Armstrong to head home at Samson’s near post.
It was Mackay-Steven who set the second half rolling with a mazy run from just inside the Saints half which he topped off with a fierce 20-yard shot which flew narrowly wide.
But United had a big scare in the 62nd minute when Marc McAusland hit a tempting ball across the six-yard area with Thompson looking odds-on for a simple tap-in but Robbie Neilson nipped in with a timely challenge to clear to safety.
Dixon became the first player to be booked on 78 minutes for a late challenge just inside his own half.
As the game entered its closing stages both sides threw men forward searching for a winner but they had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Attendance 3,811.