Hendry’s Saints’ main man as they

The Saints went marching into the last eight but the 2014 winners were helped on their way by a day which Ayr defender Aaron Muirhead will want to forget. Credited with an own goal when the Perth men cancelled out Aaron Drinan’s opener, Muirhead saw yellow and then a straight red to cap a nightmare eight minutes which handed the initiative to the visitors, who grabbed the lead through Callum Hendry 60 seconds later. Saints boss Tommy Wright said: “Both sides deserve a lot of credit as conditions were horrendous. I think Ayr will feel unlucky as they started the game well but once it settled and we got the equaliser we were in control.

“For us to score straight after the sending-off was a blow to them. In the second half, we were probably a bit wasteful, but we’ve hit the post and the keeper has made a couple of great saves.

“I think we should have a penalty at the end but the main thing is we’re in the hat for the next round.”

Ayr made a flying start to take the lead after only four minutes. Grant Gillespie’s perfect through pass sent Drinan clear and the Irish striker, on loan from Ipswich Town, slipped the ball past Zander Clark with ease.

Saints equalised after 18 minutes. A David Wotherspoon cross hung in the air and caught out the flat-footed Ross Doohan. Hendry and Muirhead rose together with the Ayr man attributed with getting the final touch. Muirhead went into Steven Mclean’s book for a foul of Hendry and then only three minutes later copped a straight red for a lunging challenge on Liam Craig after taking a poor first touch.

It took St Johnstone only a minute to cash in on their man advantage