Ross County were unable to make their numerical advantage count as they were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Hamilton Accies.
Massimo Donati gave Accies the lead after only three minutes but defender Ioannis Skondras was sent off for the hosts just before the break for a poor challenge on Ryan Dow.
Craig Curran restored parity in the 60th minute with his seventh goal of the campaign but Jim McIntyre’s side were unable to net a second to claim all three points.
The Staggies, who had lost only one of their previous seven top flight encounters with Accies, made one enforced change with Ryan Dow stepping in for the suspended Jim O’Brien.
Hamilton almost took the lead inside two minutes but Martin Woods was in the right place to deny Alex D’Acol with a goal-line clearance.
But the hosts made the breakthrough only a minute later thanks to a superb 20-yard strike from Italian midfielder Massimo Donati which found the top corner of the net.
The response from Ross County was almost immediate with Dow picking out the unmarked Tim Chow who fired over from only six yards out when he should have burst the net.
Hamilton went close to doubling their lead in the eighth minute in an action-packed start to proceedings but Scott Fox made a terrific save to keep out D’Acol’s powerful volley that looked destined for the top corner.
Michael Gardyne went close to an equaliser after 19 minutes with a fierce drive that finished inches wide of the post and the former Dundee United player went even closer just after the half hour mark with a deflected drive that was well held by Remi Matthews.
Hamilton were reduced to 10 men in first half injury time when Skondras was shown a straight red card for a late and reckless challenge on Dow as he advanced into a dangerous position.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Accies created the first chance of the second half with Dougie Imrie’s long-range drive too close to Fox.
County almost equalised in the 58th minute when Dow smashed the crossbar with a superb strike from the edge of the area.
But the Staggies finally got back on level terms two minutes later when Curran scrambled the ball home from a Woods corner.
That was to be Curran’s last meaningful involvement as he was replaced by Alex Schalk soon after.
The Staggies pushed for a winner with Gardyne going close from the edge of the area but there was also a scare at the other end when McMan stormed past two County players before eventually being denied by Fox.
Accies passed up an even better chance deep in injury time when Imrie squared the ball to substitute Alex Gogic but the midfielder blasted over.
