Dundee United had to settle for third place in the Championship after they could only draw with Morton at Cappielow this afternoon.
It means the Tangerines will head back to the Tail O’ The Bank on Tuesday night to face the Ton in the first leg of the Premiership play-off quarter-final.
Ray McKinnon’s men had started the day hoping to win and see rivals Falkirk drop something at Dumbarton so they wouldn’t have to enter the post season games for another week-and-a-half, but it was not to be.
United showed just one change from the side that had to battle for a home draw with Dumbarton last week, Ali Coote coming in for the suspended Simon Murray.
The Tangerines started brightly with Coote showing up well in one attack down the left, then Ton Andreu firing a couple of feet wide from 25 yards after the next raid forward.
And they went close to moving ahead in the 14th minute. A Blair Spittal corner was headed towards goal by Mark Durnan and when Coll Donaldson helped the ball on from just three or four yards out, Bryn Halliwell in the home goal made a fine save to deny him.
Morton then threatened after Wato Kuate surrendered possession in the centre circle. The home team broke quickly and when Kudus Oyenuga shot from the edge of the area, Cammy Bell did well to get behind the ball and make a comfortable save.
It was United who were doing most of the pressing and in the space of a minute they twice went agonisingly close through Thomas Mikkelsen.
First the big Dane headed inches wide from a Spittal cross and then he saw Halliwell touch a shot from the edge of the area onto the post.
It was all United, but they just couldn’t put the ball in the net. Their agony continued in the 29th minute when a superb Andreu drive crashed off the bar and came out.
The next miss came when Spittal cut the ball back from the right and first Andreu failed to connect, then with the goal it his mercy fullback Jamie Robson blasted over from ten yards.
Six minutes into the second half United paid the price for their missed chances. Morton worked the ball out wide on the left where Mark Russell crossed and Tannadice old boy Oyenuga headed home from the six yard line.
They tried to hit back quickly and turn the game back in their favour, but when Stewart Murdoch crossed from the right, Robson’s header went narrowly wide.
In the 63rd minute, United were back in it. A raid down the left saw the ball worked to Andreu inside the box and when he fed Spittal, the attacker netted with a low shot that didn’t have much pace on it, but was well placed to beat Halliwell.
United were looking for winner now and Mikkelsen went close again, this time with a diving header that was just a foot wide. The striker had another near thing when he had a shot blocked by Halliwell.
The chances were all coming at the home end and when Spittal shot low sub goalie Jamie McGowan, on for Halliwell, used his legs to block.
United were going for broke and centre-half Durnan was pushed up to join the attack as they desperately sought a winner.
Sub Scott Allardice got into a decent position on the edge of the area, but he pulled his shot and another promising opportunity had passed. When Durnan did well to drag the ball back to Andreu, his shot from eight yards was too high.
And in the end United just could not find the winner that would have given them that chance of finishing second.
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