Now bring on on the Jambos
OLD ST MIRREN MATCHES AS THEY WERE REPORTED AT THE TIME
It was All Saints Day at Hampden yesterday afternoon as Danny Lennon’s side pulled off one of the biggest upsets in living memory to book their passage into the final of the Scottish Communities League Cup.
New boy Esmael Goncalves fired Saints into an early lead after just eight minutes, but Celtic’s Gary Hooper levelled it up for Neil Lennon’s side moments before the break.
Craig Samson saved a Charlie Mulgrew penalty kick early in the second 45, before Paul McGowan made it 2-1 from a penalty kick.
And Saints fans were in dreamland when Steven Thompson made it 3-1 with 21 minutes remaining with a lovely low finish.
Mulgrew made it 3-2 after 93 minutes but it was too late for Celtic to mount a comeback - and Saints will now meet Hearts in the final on March17.
There were a few changes to the Saints’ starting 11 yesterday as there were starts for David van Zanten, John McGinn and new boy Goncalves.
Gary Teale won a couple of early corners on the right- hand side for Saints but, from the second one, Hooper managed to hoof it clear.
At the other end, Lassad Nouioui ghosted in at the back post but couldn’t connect with Emilio Izaguirre’s cross.
Saints took a dramatic lead in the eighth minute after a flowing move which involved Jim Goodwin’s precision tackle on Georgios Samaras on the edge of the St Mirren penalty box.
Goncalves took it forward and found Paul McGowan, and the former Celtic star picked out Teale and the winger rolled it to Conor Newton.
The on- loan Newcastle United midfielder floated in a pass for Goncalves and the Saints ace prodded it past Lukasz Zaluska to make it 1-0.
Newton was booked for a foul on Joe Ledley in the middle of the park, before McGinn side-stepped a challenge from Victor Wanyama to unleash a powerful drive that Zaluska managed to block.
Celtic’s Scott Brown then cut in from the right and edged past Goodwin in the box before his shot deflected behind for a corner.
After 22 minutes, striker Hooper fired an effort from 18 yards off the upright as he picked up a high ball and got the better of Goodwin.
Wanyama saw a distance effort drift harmlessly wide after 25 minutes, before Samaras headed off the crossbar from an Adam Matthews cross.
There was a penalty shout from the Saints support when Ledley went to ground in the box in what looked like suspicious handball, but referee Willie Collum saw nothing untoward.
Celtic were clearly rattled by St Mirren’s movement, forward play and general grip on proceedings and Goncalves was causing no end of trouble for Matthews and his colleagues down the left side.
Before the break, Goncalves hooked an angled effort high and over from a good position.
But Celtic levelled moments before the break when Hooper was on hand at close range to tuck home a Brown low pass.
Early on in the second half Celtic skipper Brown sent a left- foot shot wide of the right-hand post after Lassad played him in.
There was controversy in the 48th minute when Celtic won a penalty kick after Goodwin was adjudged to have handled possession in the box from Lassad’s shot.
Up stepped Mulgrew with the spotkick but keeper Craig Samson guessed the right way and dived to block it.
Ledley saw a turn and shot land on the roof of the net from 20 yards as Celtic chased another goal.
Back came Saints and Thompson won a corner on the right after good work from Teale.
After 62 minutes ,Saints won a penalty of their own when Mulgrew was adjudged to have handled from a Teale cross into the dangerzone.
McGowan was on hand to send Zaluska the wrong way to make it 2-1.
It was 3- 1 after 69 minutes when Teale played in McAusland on the right. ‘Cheesy’ sent an inviting cross in for Thompson and the veteran striker
slammed a low drive into the bottom of the net from 14 yards.
McGinn came off to a standing ovation with 14 minutes remaining, David Barron replacing him.
Newton stung the fingers of Zaluska with a powerful shot that the Pole failed to hold but ‘Thommo’ could not get a touch to it and divert it home.
Kris Commons drove a low shot harmlessly wide as Celtic became a little desperate, before Mulgrew’s distance effort made it 3-2 three minutes into time added on.
But it was Saints who were celebrating when the final whistle blew shortly afterwards for a narrow, but richly deserved, victory.