Kid Cammy had the courage of Samson
CRAIG SAMSON relentlessly teases St Mirren team-mate Cammy Smith about the day he saved his penalty to shock Aberdeen the last time they met on cup duty.
But behind the banter the Buddies keeper has had nothing but admiration for the kid since that day because he was man enough to step up to the spot while senior Dons players hid.
Aberdonian Smith will return to face his boyhood club today looking to help St Mirren pull off another giantkilling act, five years on from that shootout drama in the League Cup.
Smith was only 16 when he came on late in regulation time just before a Dons equaliser.
By the time it came to penalties Samson couldn’t lose as goalies can only be heroes, never villains, from 12 yards.
So amid his joy at being the man who set up a run all the way to Hampden, where Saints lifted the Cup, he spared a thought for the kid whose spot-kick he had just saved.
Samson said: “I don’t let Cammy live it down.
“He has been getting it from me ever since I rejoined here.
“But Cammy was 16 when he hit that penalty and showed a lot of courage because a lot of senior players didn’t hit penalties that night.
“We have always spoken every time we’ve faced each other because of the respect I gave him that night for going up and hitting it.
“But since I have joined here it has become a running joke that he can’t score one past me.”
Now Samson hopes to help the Championship leaders pull off an even bigger shock.
He said: “At that time we were both in the top flight. This is a chance to test ourselves against one of the country’s top teams.”