Motherwell’s Under 20s failed to notch three points for just the third time this season.
The Fir Parkers drew 0-0 with St Johnstone on a chilly November night at Forthbank Stadium in Stirling, just three days after bagging nine goals in the Scottish Youth Cup.
Stephen Craigan named five changes to his starting eleven, replacing Shaun Bowers, Kyle MacDonald, Dylan Falconer, James Scott and Alfie Agyeman with Liam Grimshaw, Stevie Hammell, Ross MacLean, Alex Fisher and Deimantas Petravičius.
The visitors enjoyed the brighter start, going close inside the first minute of the game when Denny Johnstone’s header flashed narrowly wide of Peter Morrison’s goal.
Six minutes later, Saints threatened again as Craigan’s youngsters struggled to find a foothold in the game.
A whipped corner kick was flicked crucially away from danger by Barry Maguire, but, after a rocky start, the Steelmen eventually grew into the game after 15 minutes or so.
Liam Grimshaw and Ross MacLean linked up neatly down the right flank, with the former’s first time ball allowing the latter to send in a terrific cross, which Petravičius headed narrowly over the crossbar.
Ten minutes later, the Steelmen had the ball in the back of the net – only to be denied by the linesman’s flag.
Again, Grimshaw worked the ball neatly down the right, twisting beyond his man before sending a fizzing ball in to the feet of Fisher, who did well to take a touch and finish beyond MacKenzie, before having any form of celebration cut short.
Stephen Craigan was forced in to an early substitution five minutes from half time, when Liam Brown went down following a collision and limped off the park to be replaced by Shaun Bowers.
Much like in the first half, St Johnstone started the second period brightly and nearly took the lead.
A low cross found Sean Struthers just inside the box, who sent a low effort narrowly wide of the far post.
MacLean worked himself some space on the left flank, affording the youngster a yard to send in a pinpoint cross, but it narrowly evaded Petravičius in the box.
Davie Turnbull went closest to finding the breakthrough when his strike from 20 yards was tipped brilliantly over the bar by MacKenzie, resulting in a corner for the ‘Well.
From the following set piece, Hammell’s pin-point delivery was nodded on to the bar by Fisher as Craigan’s side started to gain some momentum in the Development League clash.
In the 73rd minute though, Motherwell should have taken the lead.
Bowers burst positively beyond his marker in the box before cutting back for Petravičius, but the Lithuanin struck his effort off target from ten yards.
Two minutes later, the duo linked up again. This time it was the substitute who got on the end of the forward’s cross. Unfortunately though, Bowers’ header flashed narrowly wide of the target.
With just five minutes remaining, the visitors should have snatched the lead when a glorious opportunity fell at the feet of Kyle McClean. But from six yards and with just Morrison to beat, the midfielder miscued his effort past the post and the Steelmen were spared.