It wasn't quite sell-out Saturday, but it has been a long time since Pittodrie attracted such an attendance for a game outwith the Old Firm's visits to the north-east and while they saw a sizzling 90 minutes, particularly from an exuberant Aberdeen side, their enthusiasm was doused by a lack of goals.

For Ross County, however, this may be regarded as something of a triumph as their remarkable run of league games – Irn-Bru First Division and Clydesdale Bank Premier League – without defeat stretched to 36, leaving their 1500 supporters heading home to the Highlands with smiles on their faces.

But while Derek Adams, the Dingwall club's manager, had a look of satisfaction at the end of this pulsating encounter, Craig Brown, his Aberdeen counterpart, bristled at the thought of his side enjoying such a commanding display without a victory.

"They are a big, physical side," Adams said, "and at the end of the game they resorted to route one and we had to deal with that. From our point of view, we came here to frustrate and try to score and we were unfortunate not to have done the latter.

"I'm delighted. It's not easy for a football club like Ross County to come to Aberdeen where they are allowed to spend the money they do on the likes of Niall McGinn, Gary Naysmith and Jonny Hayes.

"It's a year that we have gone unbeaten in the league, 36 games. We only have the small matter of Celtic next week."

The crispness and pace of play from both sides promised much, not least that the fans who rallied to the call to pack Pittodrie might see a few goals.

Certainly there was enough fizz and swift passing in a fiery first half to offer entertainment, if not a finish, though Martin Scott's opportunity for the visitors in the 11th minute should have made the difference between the sides going in at the break.

The striker might have been quick to spot the space available after Sam Morrow's clever head flick from Richard Brittain's cross from the right, but he should have done better than fire past the post from 10 yards.

Stephen Hughes had earlier shot into the County side-net from a difficult angle as Aberdeen bared their teeth, after which there were a number of important challenges made in either penalty area to bring to an end promising manoeuvres.

All the while the question would have been when and not if goals would emerge, despite the home side being the SPL's poorest performers in the striking department.

There was clearly enough service to the Aberdeen front men, Scott Vernon and McGinn, to whet the appetite of the home support. Hayes had delivered a series of tantalising crosses into the area as he sought to fulfil the hopes of Brown, who has been hailing him as a supplier of ammunition for the strikers and a winger likely to upset opposing defences, just as he did on many occasions with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, his previous club.

Strangely, it was a Hayes lookalike, Ryan Fraser, a 65th minute replacement for McGinn, stretchered off after falling awkwardly following an aerial tussle with Grant Munro, County's steady-as-a-rock centre-back, who looked as though he might set the heather alight with some dazzling runs down the left and more than a number of crosses from which dividends should have come.

The former Celtic player will now miss Northern Ireland's home game against Finland on Wednesday.

But it was a superb cross from the left from Naysmith five minutes into the second half that should have given the Dons the lead, had Gavin Rae directed his header towards the back post from the short distance he was from the goal-line, to at least hit the target.

At the other end, Richard Brittain's powerful shot with 15 minutes left found the legs of Jamie Langfield, the Pittodrie goalkeeper, and the barrier to goal for Ross County.

"I'm disappointed we didn't win, given the amount of possession we had," said Brown. "The lads are in there apologising for the misses; Gavin Rae is distraught and Scott Vernon, who also missed from close-in, is the same."

Brown has done much to stiffen his defence. His close-season efforts to address their poor goals ratio of last season is still a work in progress.