Kilmarnock and Hibernian served up a festive 1-1 draw in their SPL clash at a sodden Rugby Park on Sunday.
In an entertaining first-half played in almost constant rain, striker Paul Heffernan gave the Ayrshire side the lead in the sixth minute before Hibees hit-man Eoin Doyle levelled in 26 minutes with his third goal in two games.
While Killie defender Robbie Fowler made a goalline clearance from Paul Cairney just after the break, excitement levels dipped and thereafter neither side did enough to claim all three points.
However, both sets of players deserve credit for playing in some miserable conditions, as did the 4,023 fans who braved the conditions.
Kilmarnock boss Kenny Shiels made one enforced change to his side with James Dayton coming into midfield to replace the suspended Liam Kelly.
The visitors, without skipper James McPake through suspension, showed two changes to their starting line-up with Lewis Stevenson coming in at left-back and midfielder Gary Deegan replacing Jorge Claros, who started on the bench.
Pat Fenlon's men, captained by Paul Hanlon and playing in all-yellow, found themselves behind early in the game after defender Alan Maybury had fouled Dayton 25 yards from goal when it looked as if he was favourite to clear Heffernan's poor cross.
Ben Williams made a fine save from Borja Perez's powerful free-kick but the Leith side failed to clear their lines and when Killie defender Michael Nelson put Heffernan in the Irishman skilfully lobbed the Hibs keeper from inside the box.
Stunned Hibs battled back but it was Killie who had the next chance in the 14th minute when Dayton's fine cross from the left found Heffernan but his header from eight yards slipped past the far post.
Moments later, Hibs striker Leigh Griffiths fired a free-kick from 30 yards over Cammy Bell's crossbar, before his low drive from similar distance sped past the post with the Rugby Park keeper scrambling to cover.
However, the visitors got themselves back on level terms after Heffernan lost possession in the centre circle with the ball breaking to Cairney.
The Hibs midfielder sent Griffiths racing down the right and his driven cross arrived at Doyle who did well to turn it at the far post.
Moments later, Heffernan had a drive deflected past for a corner from which the home side failed to capitalise before Doyle had a decent effort from 25 yards saved by Bell.
It was developing into an open game and in the 32nd minute Heffernan cleverly set up Jeroen Tesselaar inside a packed Hibs penalty area but the left-back's left-footed drive from 14 yards missed the target.
Four minutes from the break Killie escaped following a David Wotherspoon corner when Bell punched the ball in an attempted clearance and breathed a sigh of relief as it cannoned off Hanlon and back over the bar.
The Easter Road men should have taken the lead just over a minute into the second-half when Doyle set up Cairney in the box but his chip over Bell - when it looked like he would have been better off blasting it - was headed off the line by Fowler.
There was little between the two sides but Bell found himself called into action again when he had to push a long-distance drive from Griffiths round the post for a corner which, once more, came to nothing.
It looked as if something special would be needed to find the winner and Kilmarnock defender Mohamadou Sissoko almost provided it when he ventured up the park to have a go from 35 yards but watched as the ball fizzed just past Williams' left-hand post.
In the 85th minute Williams spilled Dayton's 25-yard free-kick before the Hibs defence eventually cleared to safety but in the end both sides looked as if they had run out of steam and thus, a draw was probably a fair result.
The 26-year-old has spent the last three months at Blundell Park, scoring eight goals in 13 matches for the Mariners.
And Hannah netted the winner in his final loan game, a 1-0 victory over Wrexham on Friday, a result which sent Grimsby top of the Blue Square Bet Premier.
The forward is now back with Bradford and hoping for a place in Phil Parkinson's squad.
"He did really well during his time at Grimsby and we were all pleased to see him get some goals under his belt," boss Parkinson told the club's official website.
"There were times when we could have called Ross back given the amount of games we've had in periods this season, but we decided to be fair to Ross and to Grimsby. We wanted to give him the full three months.
"As you may expect given the amount of goals he's scored, there has been some interest in Ross from other clubs.
"If any of the interested clubs make an offer for Ross that we feel is right for the club and for Ross, we'll listen to it. Until then though, we look forward to welcoming him back and working once again with him."
Meanwhile, first-year professional Adam Baker has joined Blue Square Bet North side Harrogate Town on a month's loan.
The Black Cats have struggled this season and headed to St Mary's in 16th place, just a point and a place better off than the hosts.
Fletcher's first half strike proved the difference in appalling conditions on the south coast as Martin O'Neill's side eked out a 1-0 win to make it two victories from their last three matches.
"We're all professional boys," the Scotland international said. "We all know what is needed when we need to go and win game.
"I thought it was a good performance. We attacked well and defended well so you're always going to win games when you play like that.
"Sometimes it is not pretty and we ground it out. We needed the three points and we got that.
"We're just happy we got three points and a good performance as well."
It is a result that Fletcher hopes can act as a catalyst for further success this Christmas, with Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool all lying in wait.
"We approach them with a bit of confidence," the striker said.
"We know we've got a hard Christmas period coming up but we've built a bit of confidence and we'll take that into the next game.
"The boys are all very tight. We all get on very well. It is a good bunch of lads.
"If we keep our heads down and keep working hard, we'll get results like this."
Fletcher's instinctive strike on Saturday was the summer signing's eighth league goal of the campaign.
The 25-year-old has shone for Sunderland and would like nothing more than to add to his tally when City visit the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day.
"I think Sessy [Stephane Sessegnon] will take an assist for that one but I think he had a shot," he said with a smile.
"I am just glad I got another goal and we got the win.
"It just came to me quick and my instinct was to side-foot it away. Luckily for me it went in the back of the net.
"It would be nice to get a goal under my belt and another win, but we'll wait to see what happens."
Yesterday's game hardly went the way former Sunderland goalkeeper Kelvin Davis wanted on what was the 600th league appearance of his career.
"It was a bit like the weather," the Southampton club captain said. "We didn't quite get out of second or third gear.
"We showed good flashes, got ourselves in good positions but then didn't have that finishing touch.
"The ball dropped in and around the box for us, but there was nobody around to get their foot on it. On another day that happens."
The defeat raises questions as to whether Saints lost momentum after an enforced two-week break due to scheduled opponents Chelsea's World Club Cup commitments.
"Who knows? We took it as an advantage to get work done on the training ground," Davis said.
"We trained very well and got ourselves prepared for a tough game. I think we were in control for most of the first half and then the goal changed it.
"We got in at a half-time and we felt there was something in the game for us, but credit to Sunderland I thought they defended very well, got bodies on the line."
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