The first Renfrewshire derby in the league in 15 years ended goalless at Cappielow, but how it came to be so is anyone’s guess.

A red-card to St Mirren’s Luke Conlan for a challenge on Bobby Barr was the flashpoint of the game, but Morton in particular were left to rue a series of missed opportunities as Saints held out manfully for a point.

Both sides were wound up for this one, and that pent-up frustration was reflected in the pace of the game from the first whistle.

Morton came haring out of the traps, and it wasn’t long before St Mirren enforcer Jim Goodwin was forced to concede a foul on the edge of the box.

Ross Forbes stepped up but his swerving effort curled inches past the post.

St Mirren’s response was swift, with Paul McMullan winning a free-kick after a poor lunge by Luca Gasparotto.

The ball was cleared for a corner, which Scott Agnew whipped in for Stevie Thompson to head home, but referee Greg Aitken whistled for a push.

The pulsating early tempo showed no signs of abating, and the home side had a great chance when Peter MacDonald did well to send a looping ball in that had Langfield grasping at thin air.

Denny Johnstone got his head to the ball, but he got too much on it as he helped it over the keeper, and it dipped over the bar.

Langfield redeemed himself moments later, when a neat exchange between Johnstone and MacDonald led to an opening.

The latter let fly from 18 yards but the veteran keeper dived low to his left to save.

St Mirren were having decent possession, but all the cut and thrust was coming from Morton.

MacDonald played in Stefan McLuskey to illustrate the point, but Baird got back well to delay his effort, and St Mirren eventually managed to crowd him out.

Morton should have taken the lead as we approached half-time when Johnstone latched on to a long ball over the top and out-muscled Sean Kelly.

Langfield was committed inviting the chip, but although Johnstone succeeded in lifting the ball over the keeper, it dropped agonisingly wide.

St Mirren started the second half in brighter fashion, and Agnew was unlucky to see his effort from the edge of the area take a nick off a defender and dip just over.

McLuskey then had an almost carbon-copy effort at the other end, with the ball skidding off Kelly and over by inches.

The match’s moment of controversy came after 55 minutes as Luke Conlan careered into Barr midway inside the St Mirren half.

It looked reckless rather than malicious, but referee Aitken immediately flashed a red card in the defender’s direction.

Morton keeper Derek Gaston had to be replaced with 20 minutes remaining after a clash with Thompson as the game deteriorated into a more physical encounter.

Chances were harder to come by as St Mirren tightened up, but MacDonald fluffed a glorious opportunity from the middle of the box as we entered injury-time.

Good work from Barr down the right led to him hitting the by-line, and his cut-back found MacDonald in acres of space.

With time to pick his spot, his side-foot effort was weak, and Langfield managed to scramble the ball clear.

Langfield then had a moment to forget as he dropped a high swirling ball into the area, but the Morton players had turned their back on the ball and no one was on hand to capitalise.

Remarkably, Goodwin almost won it with a free-kick at the death, but substitute keeper Grant Adam beat his curling effort from 20 yards away from danger.