Flashback Saints were up for the cup
St Mirren travel north to Pittodrie this weekend to face Aberdeen in as they try to save their Premiership status.
There were happier times for the club just over six years ago when the Buddies triumphed on penalties over Craig Brown’s Aberdeen side to reach the Scottish League Cup semi-final.
Sam Parkin put Danny Lennon’s team ahead before a Craig Samson mistake gifted Scott Vernon an equaliser.
Kenny McLean put the away side back in front after a Russell Anderson mistake before Josh Magennis equalised deep in to injury time.
The game would then go on to penalties to decide who would be playing at Hampden.
St Mirren were successful with four spot-kicks while Stephen Hughes and Cammy Smith failed for the Dons.
Despite Aberdeen’s bright start, it was Lennon’s men who took an early lead.
Jamie Langfield could only push
Glory days
St Mirren FC is a club with a proud tradition — and a history to match.
They have been at the centre of the Scottish game since their formation in 1877.
Today, we look back at a classic cup clash.
Steven Thompson’s header onto the crossbar, and the ball fell kindly for Parkin to convert from close range.
Brown’s men would find an equaliser midway through the first half and it was Vernon who grabbed it.
The Aberdeen goal was under threat ten minutes after the leveller. A Magennis foul gave Jim Goodwin the chance to strike a low 20 yard free kick towards the bottom right corner, but Langfield was swiftly across his goal to turn the effort away. It was a much more solid looking Buddies who emerged after the interval, and they showed the steel required to regain their lead.
Anderson saw his clearance blocked on the edge of the area, and McLean sent a superb first time strike beyond Langfield from the corner of the penalty area.
The Saints could have sealed their place in the semi-final in the 90th minute, with striker Thompson crashing a header off the post from a Teale cross.
The home side’s attacking changes would pay off in the second minute of injury-time when Magennis turned home from close range after Samson had parried Smith’s low strike.
St Mirren’s nerves returned, and early in extra-time Samson gave away a cheap throw from which Hughes found space and cracked a shot in off the bar from 15 yards.
The game would then go on to penalties and Samson made the decisive save from Smith’s penalty.
It would be a vital victory as Saints would go on to lift the cup that season, beating Celtic 3-2 in the semi-final and then winning the final after defeating Hearts 3-2 as well.