Saints go marching in: St Johnstone lift Betfred Cup at Hampden
St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson has promised fans there will be a proper celebration to mark the club’s firstever League Cup success as soon as current restrictions are lifted.
The Dunblane-raised Davidson, pictured, is one of several locals at the club. He admitted he was in an unusually emotional state at the end of a tense 1-0 win over Livingston at Hampden Park. Shaun Rooney’s header after 32 minutes proved to be the winner.
“I’ m not an emotional person ,” said davidson .“i’ m pretty level.
I think it’s just the achievement and seeing the joy on the players’ faces and the backroom staff and the people upstairs and the board, everyone involved in the club. That’s when it hits home that it means so much to them as well.
"I’m out on the forefront working hard as the face of it but I have six or seven backroom staff working unbelievably hard and I know how much it meant to them.”
He acknowledged there would be little chance for the players to celebrate other than with their families at home, as is the case with supporters.
“The players will just have to realise that it is the way it is just now ,” he said .“hopefully we can get something in June when Covid starts to clear and they allow gatherings and we can celebrate with people back in Perth.
"It is really important we do it because you do not win trophies very often – it’s taken 137 years for St Johnstone tow in this ones owe need to make sure we celebrate properly.” Davidson rushed to see chairman Steve Brown at the end of the match. he was onlyappointed manager in the summer after Tommy wright’ s surprise resignation and he clearly appreciatesbeing handed a first chance in management.
Geoff Brown, Steve’s father, was also in the St Johnstone party at Hampden yesterday – he led the club from the doldrums of the old Second Division to the top-flight in the 1980s before stepping down in 2011.
“I gave his dad a bit of stick: ‘your son has won two major trophies in his time as chairman’," said davidson ." he didn’ t take that too well! but it’ s a great achievement for him. he( steve) works so hard. It’s one of those clubs that is well run. We can’t spend money because we basically don’ t have it. you saw today the benefits of that. Hopefully we can now hold onto the players we have and build on it for the rest of the season.”
St Johnstone travel to face Hamilton Accie son Wednesdayas they re-engage with their bid to reach the top six. Davidsonhopes this latest success can be the start of something at the club. Centre-backs Liam Gordon,ja mi emc cart and skip per Jason Kerr are in their early 20s and influential midfielder Ali Mccann is still just 21.
“It’s one of those – can we keep it together?” said Davidson. “Hopefully we can. But days like these there will be other clubs looking, especially at our back three and alim cc ann, and how well they’ve done at such a young age.”
Rooney’s first-half goal wins Betfred Cup final for St Johnstone. Pages 2-3
It was regrettably low-key due to the circumstances and the game could have been described as living down to expectations.
Nevertheless, and despite there being no fans to acclaim them, St Johnstone have achieved something that will echo through the ages.
The club's history book, now due a major update, is titled
“Bristling with Possibilities”. Since publication in 1997, the Perth club has won two major honours. The possibilities are no longer bristling. They are materialising.
St Johnstone are now the second most successful team in Scotland in the last decade. Their two trophy wins – one Scottish Cup in 2014 and now, following this deserved victory over Livingston, a firstever League Cup – puts them behind Celtic.
They are also third in the league table covering that same timeframe in terms of top-flight points won, behind Aberdeen and ahead of Motherwell. It’s a (light) blueprint for other clubs to follow. It was pleasing to note that both Geoff Brown and son Steve, who succeeded him as chairman, were at Hampden to see their careful stewardship of the club rewarded once again.
Shaun Rooney, a pre-contract signing who initially struggled to command playing time under Callum Davidson, struck the decisive goal with a fine first-half header. It was sourced from his side’s first corner of the game and following an opening half hour in which they had been the poorer side.
As much as Livingston manager’s David Martindale’s backstory caught the public's imagination in the countdown, Rooney’s role as match winner was a heart-warming tale. His mother, Elizabeth, passed away two years ago from cancer. The 24-year-old dedicated his most importantever goal to her.
He also related the family connection to a St Johnstone great of the past – his great uncle is former club skipper Benny Rooney, who played in their 1969 League Cup final defeat to Celtic. That was the first of the Perth club's four cup finals to date. After losing the first two, they now have a 50 per cent success rate. Rooney's great grandfather, Bob, was also Celtic physio that day. Understandably, emotions were running high when he stood with the League Cup medal hanging round his neck talking to reporters afterwards.
“My dad says he doesn’t drink on Sundays so we’ll see if he has a drink today,” he smiled.
Rooney has scored in each of his side’s knock-out round ties since coming through the group stage - he was only playing in the quarter-final win on penalties over Dunfermline because Danny Mcnamara, brought in on loan from Millwall, was on international duty.
Fans initially mourned when Mcnamara was recalled by his club but now Rooney has surely propelled himself into Scotland boss Steve Clarke's thoughts. There’s nothing Stephen O’donnell does on the right flank that he can’t do. Livingston even adapted tactically in an attempt to shackle Rooney. Skipper Marvin Bartley was shifted out wide and it was his tackle to dispossess the right wing-back that conceded the corner from which Saints scored one of the most significant goals in their history.
They never really looked back after going in front. St Johnstone might have extended their lead at the start of the second half when the ball just evaded the excellent Chris
Kane after Robbie Mccrorie’s desperate save from David Wotherspoon, pictured left.
March is supposed to come in like a lion. Not these Livi Lions. This was a step too far in their fairytale. They had one chance of note when Josh Mullin's angled shot was pushed wide by Zander Clark.
St Johnstone finished the game with three locals on the pitch. Two, Liam Gordon and Wotherspoon, attended the same school - Perth High School. The school - motto: "Lift is abundant" - sent out a tweet wishing them luck on the eve of the game. Their former pupils did them proud, although we’ll overlook a dive from Wotherspoon in the second half when he collapsed under a non-challenge from Jon Guthrie.
Life is certainly more abundant at present for St Johnstone fans. Once, all they wanted was to win one major trophy. In fact, that is the plea included in the postscript of the aforementioned club history. Authors Alastair Blair and Brian Doyle note that if Raith Rovers, who had just beaten Celtic three years earlier to lift this same cup, can win a trophy, why not Saints?
Now they have two to their name. Jason Kerr became the first non-celtic skipper to lift a trophy in the air since David
Gray did so with Hibs in 2016.
Another (relatively) local boy, the Dunblane-raised Davidson has delivered a major trophy after just 255 days in charge. An all-round sportsman of some repute, who could have chosen golf or tennis as a career, he is proving something of a natural at football management as well.
He can give himself 10 out of 10 for his performance here. He made some difficult decisions, including leaving Guy Melamed – who had scored twice in a 3-0 win over Motherwell eight days earlier – on the bench throughout. In fact, Davidson only made one substitution.
Stevie May, one of the heroes of their 2014 Scottish Cup triumph and the other Perthshire lad, was given the last 15 minutes as a replacement for Craig Conway.
He made himself busy in an unlikely midfield enforcer role with some telling challenges.
On an afternoon when five substitutes were permitted, it seemed notable that Davidson kept changes to a minimum. His side seemed mostly in control and he was clearly hesitant about making alterations when they were not necessary. Don’t fix what isn’t broken. It could be the new St Johnstone motto.