O’HaraandOlusanyatotherescuetoseal thrillinglast-gaspwininfrontofFIFAchief
Injury-time goals from supersubs Mark O’Hara and Toyosi Olusanya earned St Mirren a dramatic win and fourth place in the Premiership table.
Veteran gaffer Neil Warnock was on the brink of his first league victory as Aberdeen boss after Connor Barron’s wonder strike in just 62 seconds.
But in front of watching FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Saturday, the Buddies staged a miracle fightback to send the SMiSA into raptures.
O’Hara’s spot-kick — awarded on the say-so of the much-maligned VAR technology — made it 1-1.
And then Olusanya, recommended to Saints boss Stephen Robinson by Warnock, celebrated his new one-year contract extension with the winning goal.
Saints went with the same starting line-up for the third successive game but was able to welcome back Conor McMenamin from injury and handed the Northern Irish winger a place among the substitutes.
The visitors arrived in Paisley under massive pressure and rang the changes following a dreadful 2-0 defeat at home to St Johnstone in midweek.
Jack Milne, Jonny Hayes, Jamie McGrath and Leighton Clarkson were jettisoned with Nicky Devlin, Killian Phillips, Junior Hoilett and Duk drafted in.
Despite Aberdeen’s troubles, the Red Army travelled in big numbers and they were euphoric with barely a minute played as their favourites took a stunning lead.
It was Duk who made it all happen, scampering down the right-hand side, and delivering a low ball which was cleared by Alex Gogic as far as Barron.
The midfielder had time, space and accuracy as he looked up and curled a wonderful long-range effort into the top corner of the net.
Warnock’s men could not have asked for a better start and the early goal left Saints in need of some stabilising.
The hosts could have been on level terms midway through the first half.
Keeper Zach Hemming’s long free-kick caused chaos in the Dons box with Scott Tanser’s header pushed onto the post by Kelle Roos.
The ball then flashed across the face of goal for Lewis Jamieson but he blazed his effort over the bar.
Jamieson came even closer to his second goal of the season on the half-hour mark when his shot clipped the bar from Caolan BoydMunce’s floating ball.
Saints were carving out opportunities and, in the 35th minute, Mikael Mandron nodded a Greg Kiltie cross just wide.
Robinson opted for a halftime change with Olusanya —fresh from signing a oneyear contract extension at the Saints — replacing Jamieson.
However, it was the Dons who launched an assault on the Buddies goal with Bojan Miovski heading over Junior Hoilett’s delivery moments after the restart.
Hoilett then forced Hemming into a smart stop as Aberdeen searched for a second goal.
At the other end, some patient build-up resulted in Boyd-Munce popping over a deep ball for Elvis Bwomono, who volleyed into the sidenetting.
That was to be the
Ugandan defender’s last action as he came off for McMenamin while Jonah Ayunga replaced Kiltie.
Two minutes later, Aberdeen sent on fresh legs as Duk and Hoilett departed with McGrath and James McGarry entering the fray.
The quality may have been lacking at times but there was no questioning the effort and commitment from both teams as the atmosphere inside the SMiSA bubbled.
The Dons weren’t content to rest on their lead and had two chances to extend it.
Firstly, Phillips was unable to follow in the footsteps of Barron when his shot from distance dropped just over before a low Miovski freekick was smothered by Hemming.
Saints relied on substitutes to make an impact in the 1-1 draw with Ross County and Robinson was hoping lightning would strike twice as he rolled the dice for the final time in the 81st minute.
James Bolton and BoydMunce both came off for skipper O’Hara — available again after a thigh problem — and Richard Taylor.
Time was running out for the Buddies, though, and as each minute ticked away, the travelling support’s singing got louder as they sensed victory edging nearer.
However, there was to be an incredible twist deep into injury time.
Devlin tangled with Olusanya and referee Nick Walsh awarded a free-kick just outside the box.
But VAR was interested in taking another look and, after a three-minute check, Walsh was told to point to the penalty spot with O’Hara holding his nerve to convert.
It wasn’t over and, in the seventh minute of time added-on, Saints grabbed a dramatic winner.
McMenamin’s cross was nodded into the six-yard box by Mandron for Olusanya who smashed the ball high into the roof of the net.
The SMiSA exploded as the most incredible win was snatched from the jaws of defeat. This amazing season just keeps on delivering special moments for the brilliant Buddies.
HOW THEY LINED UP...
ST MIRREN (3-4-3)
Hemming; Bolton (Taylor 81), Gogic, Fraser; Bwomono (McMenamin 62), Kwon, Boyd-Munce (O’Hara 81), Tanser; Jamieson (Olusanya 46), Kiltie (Ayunga 62), Mandron. Subs (not used): Urminsky(gk), Scott, Dunne, Brown.
ABERDEEN (4-2-3-1)
Roos; Devlin, MacDonald, Gartenmann, Jensen; Barron, Shinnie; Hoilett (McGrath 64), Phillips, Duk (McGarry 64); Miovski. Subs (not used): Doohan(gk), Clarkson, Hayes, Sokler, Polvara, Duncan, Milne.
BOOKINGS
Gogic was booked for Saints with Devlin, Shinnie, Miovski and McGarry cautioned for Aberdeen.
FOR THE RECORD
Oh what a fantastic finish as never-say-die St Mirren left it late but recorded the most dramatic of victories.
Aberdeen’s performance was in boss Neil Warnock’s image but it wasn’t enough as a prized 1-0 win became a 2-1 defeat. The Buddies never gave up, fighting to the end, and the scenes at full-time will live long in the memory.
STAR SAINT
a newspaper