Spartans live up to their warrior name
Saints make their point on penalty kicks
scoring inside the opening 15 minutes.
Cooke’s half-hearted header forced a save from Blair Carswell soon after but, despite cranking up the pressure, Saints hadn’t mustered anything that resembled clear-cut.
Kellermann then had the Saints’ best chance five minutes before the half but failed to hit the target when he really should have scored with a free-header from six yards out.
The Lowland L eague champions came out all guns blazing in the second half and could have doubled their lead through Scott Maxwell but keeper Danny Rogers produced a fine diving save to tip the ball behind for a corner.
But Rogers could do nothing moments later when Maxwell produced a fine finish from 20 yards, picking his spot from range to lob the stranded keeper after he parried clear a cross.
The boos rang out, but the Saints bench sprang into life as they brought on skipper Stephen McGinn and striker Ross Stewart in a bid to inject some fresh legs into the struggling side.
And it proved to be an inspired switch as McGinn smashed home at the far post just two minutes later to give St Mirren hope with just over half an hour remaining.
Fellow sub Stewart should have then levelled proceedings moments later as he raced on to a ball over the top – only to thunder of the bar.
Hayden Coulson came within inches of levelling the scores, however, his free-kick cannoned back off the bar.
But the Buddies continued to plug away and were rewarded in 76 minutes when Ryan Flynn was sent sprawling inside the box by Michael Herd and up-stepped Danny Mullen to send the keeper the wrong way from the spot.
Flynn’s acrobatic effort then forced Blair Carswell into a fine diving save as the Buddles looked to win it before Mullen thought he had won the tie with a header that looked like it had crossed the line.
Spartans hung on for dear life in the dying embers, with keeper Carswell producing a sublime save from Cammy Smith to keep the scores level after 90 minutes.
The tie went straight to penalty kicks, with Saints perfect from the spot as they struck all five to take the extra bonus point for the second time in five days.