St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright hailed his players for a performance they should be proud of against joint league leaders Aberdeen.
The Perth men got one point from the 1-1 draw but could, and probably should, have had all three.
They took the lead through Simon Lappin in a first half that produced several chances and after Adam Rooney levelled following the break, they had the Dons on the ropes again.
Wright said: “We’ve gone toe to toe with one of the best teams in the country.
“At the end we were like two boxers throwing punches at each other.
“I asked for intensity and to get it forward quickly with quality and I couldn’t have got any more.
“It was a performance the players can be proud of and if we keep playing like that, we’ll win more than we lose.”
Chris Kane made his first start for Saints. He didn’t score but Wright was delighted with the young striker’s performance.
“Chris was outstanding,” he said.
“He was playing against two of the most experienced defenders in the country and kept them busy. He ran all night and got us up the park.”
Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes reflected: “I thought a draw was a fair result. St Johnstone were far more aggressive at the start.
“We were better in the second half but you have to credit St Johnstone and I don’t think we did enough to win the match.
“The players were motivated for tonight but there’s always an opposition ready to stop you. St Johnstone aren’t a bad side and they showed that.”