Despite dominating for the majority of the match, Motherwell under-20s couldn’t find the breakthrough and drew 0-0 against Dundee tonight.
It was an encouraging performance for manager Stephen Craigan’s side which had everything apart from a crucial goal.
The Northern Irishman named a young starting eleven as his side hosted the Dee at the Excelsior Stadium in the 28th Development League of the season.
The visitors had two trialists in their side as they looked to bounce back from their 2-1 loss against Hearts but started poorly as they came across a lively Motherwell side.
The Steelmen had a number of efforts on goal but were mostly limited to efforts from distance in the first 20 minutes.
But when Jack McMillan sent in a fantastic cross for the head of James Scott in the 21st minute, the youngster headed over the bar from close range and Dundee were lucky to not be behind.
It took the visitors half an hour before they really tested Ollie Pain, when the Tayside outfit hit Motherwell on the break.
Mark Smith, driving in to the box, cut back on to his left foot before striking low and hard at the near post, but Pain did well to get down to his left and collect the ball.
The second half started a lot slower than the first and the same ‘Well side who dominated much of the opening period looked a little off the pace as the second got underway.
Neither side made much happen though and the only talking points were two stoppages for both teams to send on physios just before the hour mark after a couple of knocks.
The Steelmen had a late flurry of chances in the final five minutes and in to injury time, but Dundee stopper Ferrie was the reason the visitors left with a point.
Firstly he denied Fry from a glorious one-on-one opportunity and minutes later got the slightest of touches to a low effort from substitute Dylan Mackin to tap the ball narrowly round the post.
In the third minute of injury time, Mackin was involved again but his terrific ball across the face of goal was ever so slightly out of reach for the lunging Fry who couldn’t tap it home.
The outcome was a goalless draw on a night when the Steelmen dominated proceedings but couldn’t make it count.
Motherwell U20s: Pain, McMillan, Livingstone, Maguire, Armstrong, Campbell, Fry, Turnbull, Scott (Mackin ’70), Hastie, Gordon
Unused subs: Pettigrew, Agyeman, Lasley