Better than grabbing 300th game for Saints
on the money and allowed captain Jason Kerr to rise like the strongest of Perthshire salmon – he may still be rising – to plant a header beyond Ofir Marciano.
Saints fans were suddenly in a reminiscent mood. It was a goal which went very close to mirroring Steven Anderson’s nodded finish in the 2014 Scottish Cup final.
“I didn’t think about it at the time,” Wotherspoon smiled. “But looking back it looks identical to Ando’s goal.
“We had worked on our set-pieces and hitting an area for others to attack the ball.
“Jason did really well to lose his man.
“Luckily the cross was right on his head. It was perfect and a great header.
“It was a terrific goal and one that was needed after the way Hibs had started. Zander had made some great saves.
“But we were always fighting and putting our bodies on the line. We got ourselves out of it and took the game back.”
Saints had indeed weathered an early storm but Zander Clark in the Perth net was not in the mood to be beaten. The whole team was not.
Man of the match Shaun Rooney was having one of the games of his life down the right flank. Suddenly in the opening exchanges
ST JOHNSTONE ................... 3 HIBERNIAN ............................ 0
Heroics at Hampden and St Johnstone are in the final.
This was a truly glorious evening for the Perth club and what a shame supporters were unable to witness it in person.
Goals from Jason Kerr, Shaun Rooney and Craig Conway simply put Hibernian to the sword. The men from the capital had no answer.
The first two were sublime headers, the third to seal the finest of victories came after a lovely piece of build-up play.
This was always going to be a strange experience with no fans perched in the stands. Watching the players stroll on to the field, only to the sound of the Hampden DJ’s music selection, just did not feel right.
Still, there were bound to be more than a few nerves in the Perth camp. Occasions like these do not come along every season for a club like St Johnstone.
Through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, a national semi-final remains of huge significance.
The start was tentative and Hibs had more of the attacking threat in the opening exchanges. And goalkeeper Zander Clark was scampering across his line on 13 minutes when Martin Boyle’s strike deflected off Ali McCann.
It initially looked ominous but the ball dropped clear of the post and behind for a corner. Regardless, it was a warning.
Hibs continued to threaten of the second half he met a wicked Craig Conway freekick to bullet a header in for number two. The net pegs were almost upended.
It was a moment he deserved for his level of performance, not just on the day but across the past couple of months. and somehow did not take the lead just after the 20 minute mark. Clark first denied Paul Hanlon with an acrobatic stop before, moments later, he did remarkably well to deny attacker Jamie Murphy.
Murphy, though, really should have tucked in the rebound. Instead he dinked on to the crossbar. What a let-off.
Saints were weathering a storm and it showed no sign of clearing as the half-hour mark approached. This time a Hanlon cross from the left was nodded off the outside of the post by Jackson Irvine.
But sometimes all you need is one chance. And, wow, captain Kerr certainly took it in the 35th minute with the finest of headers.
It mirrored legend Steven Anderson’s opener in the Scottish Cup final of 2014,
David Wotherspoon again with the corner.
When he turned architect on 63 minutes to tee-up Conway at the back-post for the third, Saints were well and truly booked into dreamland.
“It was a terrific header from Shaun,” said Wotherspoon. “He attacked it so well.
“And even after the third goal, I was still on guard. We didn’t want to let them back in it. Even one goal might have changed it.
“We were constantly saying not to drop off, to keep going and to keep fighting.
Jubilant Saints fans would be dancing around their living rooms. Blue and white scarves twirling on a lap of honour through to the kitchen and back.
Soon they were off again. Forty-nine minutes were on the clock when Conway’s free-kick delivery was nodded in by towering wing-back Rooney. He has been pivotal in this Betfred Cup success.
Saints led by two. Supporters were in dreamland but they would still be hiding behind sofas every time Hibs mounted an attack.
There was a third celebratory lap of the house on 63 minutes.
And what a starring role Rooney played to storm to the byline after collecting a clever McCann pass and deliver across the face of goal.
Conway said thank you very much to tuck home off the underside of the bar.
From here, Saints really did not look like losing.
In normal circumstances, the city centre would have been absolutely jumping late into the evening. Pubs would be rammed with smiles.
These are strange times we are living in. But, if one thing is for sure, many a glass would still be getting raised to the Perth Saints on Saturday evening.
Saints: Clark, Kerr, Rooney, McCann, Davidson, Conway, Wotherspoon, Kane (May 77), Tanser, McCart, Gordon. Unused: Parish, Brown, Booth, Bryson, Craig, Hendry, Melamed, O’Halloran. Hibs: Marciano, Hanlon, Porteous, McGinn, Boyle, Gogic (Allan 65), Nisbet, Murphy (Magennis 65), Doig, Cadden (Doidge 51), Irvine. Unused: Macey, Wright, Stevenson, Gullan, Hallberg, McGregor.
To a man we did that, it was absolutely brilliant.”
Fans, dancing around their living rooms, were lapping this up.
‘We want four, we want four’ would have been the chant of choice across Perth and at Saints-supporting homes around the world.
Wotherspoon said: “It was disappointing we couldn’t celebrate with the fans at the end but that’s obviously the way it is at the moment.
“We needed to do something for them sitting in their own homes watching the game. I’m sure they were all nervous.
“The fans have the game next month to look forward to. Another final is a massive achievement for us.
“I’m just delighted to get the result for them. And for people like Liam Craig because he’s had his semifinal disappointments before.
“For me, I’m absolutely delighted.
“I made my 300th appearance and it couldn’t have gone any better.”