ST Johnstone manager Tommy Wright was forced to swap his customary place in the technical area for his 200th game in charge at McDiarmid Park.
The Northern Irishman settled for a seat in the directors’ box after hurting his knee tumbling in the Murrayfield tunnel on Saturday.
But while Wright was relieved to halt a three-game losing sequence, Saints couldn’t end their wait for a goal which now stretches to 366 minutes.
For Staggies manager Owen Coyle, returning to his former club for the first time in a decade, it was a valuable away point to join the two wins and a defeat he has posted since taking over at Dingwall.
After losing out to Hearts at the weekend, Perth manager Wright opted for five changes to his starting line-up, with keeper Zander Clark, Murray Davidson, Blair Alston, Steven Anderson and Paul Paton handed starts.
The Staggies made five changes from the team which defeated Hamilton, with Ross Draper, Tim Chow, Ryan Dow and Thomas Mikkelsen providing the fresh legs.
Scottish Cup winner Anderson resumed his familiar post at the heart of the Perth defence after suspension but found himself relieved of the captaincy, with former Aberdeen player Joe Shaughnessy preferred by his manager.
Undaunted, Anderson was first to test Staggies keeper Scott Fox, powering a header goalwards after being picked out by Paton’s cross.
County striker Thomas Mikkelsen required first aid and a fresh shirt after coming off second best in a clash with Shaughnessy but the Dane came close with a deflected header in the 17th minute.
Three minutes later he awaited the arrival of Chow and the midfielder wasted a gilt-edged opportunity by screwing his 20-yard shot wide of the target.
Michael O’Halloran’s pace posed problems for the County defence before he was substituted minutes from the interval but Kenny van der Weg produced a vital block to frustrate Stefan Scougall.
The former Sheffield United player was out of luck again within minutes when keeper Fox dropped to his left and turned a teasing 20-yarder round the post.
Unmarked Paton should have ended Saints’ goal drought minutes after the restart but his downward header from 12 yards allowed Fox to reach out a hand.
Then overlapping full-back Aaron Comrie spurned another opening after being played in by David Wotherspoon.
But the Staggies, who lost keeper Fox to injury 15 minutes from the end, also had chances to break the deadlock.
Anderson was handily placed to block a netbound Craig Curran effort before home keeper Clark reacted brilliantly to halt ferocious strike from David Keillor-Dunn.
St Johnstone: Clark, Alston (Craig 82), Shaughnessy, Anderson, Davidson, MacLean (Cummins 71), O’Halloran (Wotherspoon 42), Comrie, Paton, Scougall and Easton. Subs: Mannus, Tanser, Johnstone and Gilchrist.
Ross County: Fox (McCarey 75), Fraser, Naismith, Chow, Dow (Gardyne 68) Davies, Draper, Mikkelsen (Curran 53), O’Brien, van der Weg and Keilor-Dunn. Substitutes: Kelly, Schalk, Lindsay and McKay.
Referee: Barry Cook.
Attendance: 2267.
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