St Johnstone midfielder Murray Davidson revealed how even he was left baffled by referee Charlie Richmond in the aftermath of his shot being saved on the line.
Davidson’s net-bound strike sparked late drama when St Mirren’s Stephen O’Donnell stopped it with his arm.
As the home players appealed as one for a spot-kick, the match official at first appeared reluctant to act.
He eventually wandered over to his assistant James Bee to seek his advice, while also remaining in communication with the fourth official Steven McLean through a headpiece.
The consultation on the sideline took a while, then Mr Richmond weaved from Buddies player to player, seemingly trying to figure out who had committed the offence.
By what turned out to be pure luck, he did eventually book O’Donnell but the Paisley player was told it was for dissent.
After what seemed an age, Paul Sheerin picked up the ball, a couple of visiting players put their heads in their hands and it became clear a penalty had been awarded to the Perth men.
Sheerin converted to give the hosts a point that they barely deserved for what was a rather tepid performance. “The ball came to me and I hit it and from where I was it looked like a clear handball,” said Davidson.
“People are saying it was over the line anyway.
“I heard the ref say ‘Penalty, sending off a player’ when he was walking back but nobody was sent off so I don’t know what happened there.
“I was asking him why if it was a handball that nobody was sent off but he kept saying to go away and wouldn’t answer me.
“Personally I don’t like to see players going off but it was a decent save, to be fair.
“It did take a while but it looks like the right decision was made.
“We know we weren’t good enough and we got out of jail with a point so can’t complain.”
The relegation-threatened visitors were the better team overall and looked in complete control thanks to goals from Graham Carey in 33 minutes and man-of-the-match Andy Dorman in 50.
Central defender Michael Duberry pulled one back on 79 minutes for St Johnstone before Sheerin kept his composure to level.
St Mirren’s gripe wasn’t so much over the penalty itself but rather the lead-up to it.
They felt the free-kick from Filipe Morais that eventually fell to Davidson should not have been given. Kenny Deuchar and Carey had tangled near the touchline before St Johnstone were awarded the set-piece.’Stonewall’Manager Gus MacPherson also felt his side were denied a “stonewall” penalty after home goalkeeper Graeme Smith came out to challenge Billy Mehmet with the visitors already 2-0 up, although that would have been a soft one.
“We are told not to talk about other incidents, but does that make it better? I don’t think so,” said the Buddies boss.
“The penalty, it was a handball on the line. I can understand the confusion because of being unaware of who it was.
“But it’s the free-kick in the wider area that I have a bigger problem with, which was never a free-kick. It allowed St Johnstone to put the ball into that danger area.
“We could have defended it better, but it was a disappointing award for us.
Home boss Derek McInnes, meanwhile, was happy that his players had battled back but was unsatisfied with the overall display.
“I thought we were second best to St Mirren, from the first minute until we got our first goal,” he said.
“I thought they were more aggressive, covered the ground more and worked harder than us.
“They gave their manager and their club absolutely everything and we never got going.”