Dundee United and Aberdeen had to settle for a share of the spoils after a grim Scottish Premier League game with few chances.
The home side hit the woodwork, but a 0-0 draw was probably a fair result.
However, it was a result neither side wanted as they looked to keep alive their slim hopes of securing a top-six finish by overtaking Falkirk, who sit nine points ahead of the Terrors and 10 ahead of the Dons.
The hosts made three changes to the team that drew with Kilmarnock at the weekend, with Krisztian Keresztes, Zac Sapsford and Kristijan Trapanovski coming in for Ross Graham, Max Watters and the injured Craig Sibbald.
The visitors responded to Saturday’s defeat to Dundee at Pittodrie by making four changes to the starting line-up as Gavin Molloy, Jack Milne, Graeme Shinnie and Kenan Bilalovic replaced Mitchel Frame, Afeez Aremu, Topi Keskinen and the suspended Liam Morrison.
The Dons had the first opportunity of the game in the eighth minute when captain Shinnie tried his luck from long range but his shot was comfortably gathered by home goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer.
United came agonizingly close to opening the scoring in the 19th minute when a Trapanovski corner was only cleared to Pan Camara 22 yards out and the midfielder hit a superb volley that cannoned off the inside of Aberdeen goalkeeper Per Kristian Bratveit’s post.
Soon after, Camara had another chance when he met a cross from Will Ferry, but his header was tame and easily kept out by Bratveit.
But as the half-hour wore on, both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, a situation not helped by the difficult Tannadice surface.
The hosts eventually had two quick chances but Jack Milne blocked a Trapanovski shot after a promising break, with the same United player then finding Keresztes at the back post – but the big defender sent his header over the bar and failed to test Bratveit.
Aberdeen had a golden chance to break the deadlock in the 51st minute when Toyosi Olusanya raced through on goal and kept his feet under a challenge from Iurie Iovu to play in Kevin Nisbet, but – instead of going into the empty net – the forward somehow sent his shot wide of the post.
United finally had a half-chance of their own in the 77th minute when Amar Fatah cut in from the right, but his shot flew high and wide.
Keresztes saw a late goal but could only direct his header at Bratveit with sub Ivan Dolcek passing up an even better chance to blast over the bar.
Deep into stoppage time, the ball fell perfectly for United’s Emmanuel Agyei, but again his composure deserted him at the vital moment as his shot flew into the stands.
What the leaders said
Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin: “The end result was fair. Both sets of players deserve credit for the way they went about their business, the pitch is not good, we know that.
“It was a very old-fashioned style of football. It’s a very difficult surface to get many quality moments on.
“With the congestion we’ve got it’s hard for the ground staff to get the job done and at this time of year the grass isn’t growing so it’s going to be about trying to win these games ugly.
“I thought we were going to grab it in the dying moments but unfortunately the ball wasn’t going to sit kindly enough.
“Pan Camara was unlucky with the one off the post in the first half – he was so unlucky because it rolled across the goal. Another night someone presses it but neither goalkeeper has had much to do in the 90 minutes.
“Defensively I thought we were excellent, we did the basics well and it was a night you had to do it. We haven’t kept many clean sheets but on the night we do unfortunately we can’t capitalize at the other end.”
Aberdeen interim manager Peter Leven: “Have I seen a worse course? No. I know it’s been difficult with the rain and the weather, but it was so tough for the boys.
“It was tough conditions, we tried to play into the pockets and it bubbled so we changed early and went more direct. We didn’t realize how bad the pitch was.
“Kevin [Nisbet] had his chance and used his laces rather than his ankle. I thought we were good in the second half, the attitude of the players was great.
“The positive is the clean sheet, they are dangerous from throw-ins and set plays.
“We wanted the three points, we took the game more to them in the second half and they didn’t threaten us much until the last few minutes.
“It will be tough against Hearts this weekend but hopefully the pitch will be better.”