Gordon on mission to end his pain at Hampden

LIAM GORDON is looking for a taste of Hampden happiness at long last after being on the losing side on each of his three previous appearances. Tomorrow’s visit to the national stadium is certainly a step up in class for the St Johnstone defender as the Perth side look to topple Hibs in their Betfred Cup semi-final. The last three times he played there, he lost on each occasion to Queen’s Park, twice with Elgin and once with Arbroath. How Gordon would love to set the record straight when the stakes are so much higher this weekend, with a return to Mount Florida in the final against Livingston or St Mirren the reward for victory. ‘I played at Hampden a number of times when I was on loan in the lower leagues,’ said the 24-year-old (below). ‘One was the play-off final when I was at Arbroath, against Queen’s Park. We lost out with the last kick of the ball in extra time, so that isn’t the best of memories. ‘This is obviously a different ball game playing in the semifinal of the League Cup and it is a wrong that I would like to put right and, hopefully, go and get the win. But it’s always a place I enjoy playing. Obviously, it is the national stadium and it is always an incentive to go and play there. ‘It’s a great chance for all of us. Being at St Johnstone, these opportunities don’t come around as much, so when they do you need to grasp them with both hands.’ Lifelong Saints fan Gordon has fond memories of St Johnstone’s 2014 Scottish Cup triumph when the McDiarmid Park outfit won the tournament for the first time in the club’s history. After beating Aberdeen 2-1 at Ibrox in the semi-final — with Gordon’s current team-mate Stevie May scoring twice — the Perth men overcame Dundee United 2-0 in the final at Celtic Park. Gordon, who joined St Johnstone from Hearts the following year, recalled: ‘In the semi-final with Mayso (May), I remember being in my friend’s house and him scoring the second goal and the whole room going mental. ‘A few of my mates were having beers and there were beers flying everywhere. It was incredible. That’s when I was at Hearts. I went to the final and it was just an incredible weekend for the whole city.’