St Johnstone concluded their short tour of Northern Ireland with a disappointing draw against Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park in County Tyrone.
Saints struggled to assert themselves throughout an awkward 90 minutes and the Irish part-time side could have clinched a shock win in injury time.
However, Saints boss Derek McInnes said, “I was pleased with the performance in the first half although it is still a case of a lot of the players getting to know one another.
“I am not really concerned by the result but we have to start creating more chances.
“That is two clean sheets we have had in our two games here and I am confident we will be ready when the real stuff starts in two weeks’ time.”
McInnes was able to select last season’s skipper Jody Morris for the first time since his hernia surgery, in a strong-looking Saints starting 11.
Slovakian trialist goalkeeper Lubos Hajduch was also given another chance to stake a claim for a contract after having little to do in Tuesday night’s win over Lisburn Distillery.
McInnes had demanded an increase in tempo from his players after that 1-0 victory and his pleas were heeded in a brisk early spell by Saints.
Their best chance in that opening period came in the 13th minute when a measured free-kick from the left by Liam Craig was just inches too high for Kevin Rutkiewicz who was lurking at the Swifts back post.
Two minutes later, Michael Duberry powered into the box at a corner taken by Danny Grainger but could not keep his header down and the ball flew over the bar.
It was not all one-way traffic, though, with Dungannon’s Timmy Adamson posing a threat up front.
And the home striker almost capitalised on an absolute howler by Hajduch in the 23 minute.
The keeper was too casual as he tried to steer a pass-back out to Dave Mackay on the right and only succeeded in hitting the outstretched foot of the chasing Adamson.
Luckily for the trialist stopper, he was able to pounce back on to the ball just before it trundled over the line. In the 35th minute, St Johnstone came close to taking the lead themselves when Grainger whipped in a dangerous low cross from the left which was met by the head of the diving Sam Parkin eight yards out.
Home keeper Sean McNeill was rooted to the spot on his goal-line, but luckily for him the attempt flashed just wide of his left-hand post.
Surprisingly, after his long lay-off, Morris led an unchanged St Johnstone out for the second half.Promising startSaints again opened brightly with Collin Samuel testing O’Neill with a crisp snap-shot from the edge of the Swifts box in 46th minute.
But it was the dangerous Adamson who had the next chance when he latched on to a cut-back inside the Saints box but could not keep his shot down and it flew just over Hajduch’s crossbar.
With St Johnstone making little headway, McInnes started utilising his bench, bringing on Steven Anderson, Cleveland Taylor and then the two promising youngsters Liam Caddis and Stevie May.
However, the changes had little effect with Saints continuing to make heavy weather against Swifts.
Indeed, Saints had another scare in the 78th minute when home sub Shane Coney flashed a header inches over the bar from a free-kick.
Five minutes after that, another Saints sub Steven Milne was sent clear down the right by Taylor but, with St Johnstone players queuing up in the box, his attempted cross was easily cut out.
Then with just seconds of normal time remaining, Coney burst through between Craig and Anderson and hit a clipped shot from six yards out which flashed dangerously close to Hajduch’s far post.
The home side should have clinched a victory in extra time when the trialist keeper came out for a free-kick and missed it completely.
Swifts’ Craig McClean had the goal at his mercy but panicked and sent his header on to the top of the net.
Attendance 200 (est).