Aberdeen interim boss Peter Leven admitted he had never seen a worse pitch than the one at Tannadice after the goalless draw in the Scottish Premiership.
Pan Camara came closest to breaking the deadlock for the home side when he struck a post in the first half, with chances few and far between.
It was a result neither side really 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 in front of the Dons.
The players toiled on a tricky surface that has taken a pounding from the elements in recent weeks.
Leven insisted it made it incredibly difficult for his team to produce many moments of quality, although striker Kevin Nisbet did pass up a gilt-edged chance to score.
Leven said: “Have I seen a worse pitch? No.
“I know it’s been difficult with the rain and the weather, but it was so hard for the boys.
“It was tough conditions, we tried to play into pockets and it was bobbling so we changed early on and went more direct.
“We didn’t realise how bad the pitch was.
“Kevin had his chance and used his laces rather than his instep.
“I thought we were good second half, the players’ attitude was amazing.
“The positive is the clean sheet, they’re dangerous from throw-ins and set plays.
“We wanted the three points, we took the game to them more in the second half and they didn’t threaten us much until the last few minutes.
“It’s going to be tough against Hearts this weekend but hopefully the pitch will be better.”
Home boss Jim Goodwin acknowledged the groundstaff were facing an impossible task at the moment and was left ruing the fine margins after Camara crashed a shot off a post.
He said: “I think the end result was fair.
“Both sets of players deserve credit for the way they went about their business, the pitch isn’t good, we know that.
“It was a very old-fashioned style of football. It’s a very difficult surface to get many moments of quality.
“With the fixture congestion we have, it’s hard for the groundstaff to get working on it and at this time of year the grass doesn’t grow.
“So it’s going to be about trying to win ugly in these games.
“I thought we were going to snatch it in the dying moments but unfortunately the ball wouldn’t 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 face of goal. On another night someone taps that in.
“But neither keeper has had much to do over the 90 minutes.
“Defensively I thought we were outstanding, we did the basics well and it was a night you had to do that.
“We haven’t been keeping many clean sheets but unfortunately the night we do it, we can’t capitalise at the other end.”
