A night to

Saints produce the unthinkable to advance to Scottish Cup semis

We may never see anything like this again.

This is what football is all about. The never giving up. The unprecedented drama. The underdog story.

St Johnstone Football Club, take the biggest of bows. You have made the city of Perth proud all over again.

Dreamland had been entered when the League Cup was lifted in February. Then the top six was clinched against the odds.

Now? Just the small matter of knocking Rangers out of the Scottish Cup at the quarter-final stage. The double is on.

And by gosh, Saints deserved this. They left every single ounce of energy out on that Ibrox turf and refused to be beaten.

Even when James Tavernier nodded the league champions ahead deep into extra time, Perth

RANGERS ............................... 1 ST JOHNSTONE ...................... 1 (after extra time, Saints win 4-2 on penalties)

Matthew Gallagher heroes fought to the very last.

The equaliser, in the 122nd minute of the match, was quite unbelievable. A scene that will live forever in Scottish Cup folklore.

Liam Craig’s corner arrowed towards the centre of the box. And there he was. Kitted out in his luminous green jersey with big bushy beard glimmering under the floodlights. Zander Clark.

He connected with a header, the world seemed to stop and then Chris Kane nudged over the line from close range. Clark was claiming it, no doubt about it. Never has a goalkeeper scurried off in celebration so quickly.

It was jump off the sofa, slide around the living room and watch on repeat for the rest of your life kind of stuff.

But a penalty shootout remained. Clark couldn’t be the hero again, could he? Why not.

He saved Tavernier’s spotkick and then denied Kemar Roofe minutes later. It was a goalkeeping performance for the ages.

The composure from Perth’s penalty professionals was something else. Craig effortlessly tucked into the net, Callum Booth passed into the corner and Jason Kerr almost burst the net with a high stunner.

And so one more successful attempt would win it. Fitting that Ali McCann trundled forward. A player who epitomises everything that Saints do so well. He deserved this moment.

Still only 21 – let’s not forget that – he swept beyond Allan McGregor and the on-field party erupted. Every man in a yellow shirt sprinted towards the smiling