ANOTHER game, another soft concession, another lead thrown away.

How Dundee United must think back to August, to thumping Tannadice wins over Hibernian and Dundee and to sitting proudly at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Instead, Peter Houston's side will spend the remainder of the festive period searching for good cheer after yet another game in which victory proved elusive. Nine matches have now come and gone at Tannadice without a home win, a litany of draws handicapping a campaign that began with such promise.

A goal inside 90 seconds, the 14th consecutive game in which they have scored, should have given Houston's side a platform to go on and win but instead they crumbled under increasing St Johnstone pressure. "We're attack-minded and open but we're not killing teams off," said Houston. "I'm pleased with the attitude and commitment, but we should be winning games like this at home."

Certainly, it appeared United would do just that during a first half in which they exploited St Johnstone's aerial negligence, breaching their flimsy resistance inside the opening two minutes with a goal that proved infuriatingly simple from a Perth perspective. Paddy Cregg breenged through the back of Johnny Russell to concede a free-kick and, when Barry Douglas swung a delivery into the box, Gavin Gunning rose unchallenged to plant a header past Alan Mannus.

It would not be the last time the Irish centre-back found room in the visitors' penalty area and, indeed, he should have completed an unlikely hat trick before the half was out. On two occasions Gunning failed to connect with the ball at the back post after escaping his marker; first he misjudged a Willo Flood cross, then inexplicably hesitated after Mannus tipped a Rudi Skacel effort into his path, allowing the ball to trundle wide. Later, the Irishman was only denied a late winner when Cregg stooped to head an effort from another Douglas delivery off the line.

For all that, though, United were never convincing and St Johstone knew it. The visitors set about their task with renewed vigour after the break and almost immediately forced an equaliser thanks to the persistence of Peter Pawlett. The winger assumed possession on the right and ghosted past Gunning but then appeared to have run the ball out of play after gliding beyond Douglas, only to somehow prod back into the path of Brian McLean. The startled defender could only bundle over his own line.

The goal was symptomatic of United's season, one in which soft concessions have often proved a prelude to the loss of another. So it was no surprise when, a minute later, St Johnstone almost went ahead – MacLean's inventive flick falling for Liam Craig to rattle a shot against Cierzniak's legs. United, though, made the greater fist of trying to win the game during a scrappy final 20 minutes. John Rankin's scud across goal alarmed Mannus, while a stinging effort by Mark Millar bounded just wide.

But the final opportunity to pinch all three points fell to the visitors. Tade scampered away from Douglas and burst into the area only for Cierzniak to thwart the Frenchman with his legs. "With a little bit more composure, the game would have been ours," bemoaned Steve Lomas, the St Johnstone manager. "Our conversion rate is probably the poorest in the league and it's causing us to draw too many games."

ANOTHER game, another soft concession, another lead thrown away. How Dundee United must think back to August, to thumping Tannadice wins over Hibernian and Dundee and to sitting proudly at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Instead, Peter Houston's side will spend the remainder of the festive period searching for good cheer after yet another game in which victory proved elusive. Nine matches have now come and gone at Tannadice without a home win, a litany of draws handicapping a campaign that began with such promise.

A goal inside 90 seconds, the 14th consecutive game in which they have scored, should have given Houston's side a platform to go on and win but instead they crumbled under increasing St Johnstone pressure. "We're attack-minded and open but we're not killing teams off," said Houston. "I'm pleased with the attitude and commitment, but we should be winning games like this at home."

Certainly, it appeared United would do just that during a first half in which they exploited St Johnstone's aerial negligence, breaching their flimsy resistance inside the opening two minutes with a goal that proved infuriatingly simple from a Perth perspective. Paddy Cregg breenged through the back of Johnny Russell to concede a free-kick and, when Barry Douglas swung a delivery into the box, Gavin Gunning rose unchallenged to plant a header past Alan Mannus.

It would not be the last time the Irish centre-back found room in the visitors' penalty area and, indeed, he should have completed an unlikely hat trick before the half was out. On two occasions Gunning failed to connect with the ball at the back post after escaping his marker; first he misjudged a Willo Flood cross, then inexplicably hesitated after Mannus tipped a Rudi Skacel effort into his path, allowing the ball to trundle wide. Later, the Irishman was only denied a late winner when Cregg stooped to head an effort from another Douglas delivery off the line.

For all that, though, United were never convincing and St Johstone knew it. The visitors set about their task with renewed vigour after the break and almost immediately forced an equaliser thanks to the persistence of Peter Pawlett. The winger assumed possession on the right and ghosted past Gunning but then appeared to have run the ball out of play after gliding beyond Douglas, only to somehow prod back into the path of Brian McLean. The startled defender could only bundle over his own line.

The goal was symptomatic of United's season, one in which soft concessions have often proved a prelude to the loss of another. So it was no surprise when, a minute later, St Johnstone almost went ahead – MacLean's inventive flick falling for Liam Craig to rattle a shot against Cierzniak's legs. United, though, made the greater fist of trying to win the game during a scrappy final 20 minutes. John Rankin's scud across goal alarmed Mannus, while a stinging effort by Mark Millar bounded just wide.

But the final opportunity to pinch all three points fell to the visitors. Tade scampered away from Douglas and burst into the area only for Cierzniak to thwart the Frenchman with his legs. "With a little bit more composure, the game would have been ours," bemoaned Steve Lomas, the St Johnstone manager. "Our conversion rate is probably the poorest in the league and it's causing us to draw too many games."