MAKE MINE A DOUBLE!
Davidson targets even bigger party in Perthshire this summer after Middleton and Kane seal yet another final spot
CALLUM DAviDson promised the people of Perth a huge summer party after winning the Betfred Cup in February. should st Johnstone become the first non-old Firm side to win a League Cup and scottish Cup Double in 31 years, it could be the postCovid bash to top them all.
To regain the trophy they won in 2014, the team from the Fair City have to beat Hibernian in the final in two weeks’ time.
‘You won’t see me for six weeks if we do it,’ grinned manager Davidson. ‘Joking aside, i never look too far forward. Hibs are a fantastic side and it’s going to be a very tough game.
‘Hopefully it will be another entertaining one — the scottish Cup has certainly delivered these last few weeks.’
Chris Kane’s previous contribution towards winning the old trophy almost went unnoticed. When a visiting striker scores at ibrox, his image should be plastered over the back pages the next morning. instead, all the attention went to keeper Zander Clark for his assist in Kane’s extra-time equaliser which took the quarter-final to penalties .
Despite scoring the opener against st Mirren in yesterday’s semi, Kane was almost upstaged by a team-mate once again. substitute Glenn Middleton had only been on for seven minutes when he gathered the ball on the left from the excellent Callum Booth and swung in an enticing low cross for Kane to slide in ahead of Joe shaughnessy and prod the ball home in the 72nd minute.
Two minutes later, Middleton took centre stage with a very special goal.
in his short spell on loan at st Johnstone from Rangers, the scotland Under-21s international has scored some important goals. He claimed the strike which secured their place in the top six. He scored the only goal in the 1-0 win over Hibs in the Premiership last weekend.
Here, he secured a Hampden meeting with the Easter Road side with a glorious, dipping 25-yard free-kick which knocked the stuffing from st Mirren.
The Paisley side lost a Betfred Cup semi to Livingston four
months ago when they failed to show up. The regret this time will be their failure to take one of a series of chances until it was too late.
With four minutes left, Conor McCarthy soared highest in a crowded area to bullet a header into the net for 2-1. in those final minutes, substitutes Collin Quaner and Eamonn Brophy came close to forcing extra-time.
Even so, Davidson and his Perth players are fast becoming one of the stories of the season.
Three trophies in seven years would be an incredible return for a club of their size.
Two in his first season as a boss would be stunning for a man emerging as a main rival to steven Gerrard for manager of the year.
st Mirren were facing a team weakened by the loss of four first-team players to Covid-19.
But, ultimately, Jim Goodwin’s men didn’t do enough and will be kicking themselves. There was always the feeling that the wasted opportunities would cost them.
st Johnstone, by contrast, have a knack of riding out storms and scoring big goals at big times. in every sense, they’re a club punching above their weight.
But the Paisley side will feel they were given something of a helping hand at Hampden yesterday.
in any game refereed by Willie Collum, controversy is always guaranteed.
st Mirren had two claims for a penalty in more or less the same incident in the early stages of the game. neither was clear-cut, yet both could have been given.
Hibs were gifted an offside goal in the first semi-final against Dundee United on saturday. Here, the Paisley saints screamed for a spot-kick when an ilkay Durmus cross was met by Kristian Dennis, smacking Jamie McCart flush on the arm.
There was nothing deliberate or intentional, but the defender’s arm was outstretched. Whether that could be seen as an unnatural position comes down, ultimately, to the judgment of the referee.
it’s possible Collum was still making a split-second decision on that issue when he ignored McCart following through and catching Dennis with a raised boot, the striker collapsing in the area. Two claims in one flashpoint yet no penalty.
The reluctance of scottish clubs to meet the cost of vAR is well documented. How long they can afford to keep their hands in their pocket is now the question.
st Mirren’s best chance came after 31 minutes. As with the penalty shout, opinions were divided.
A hero at ibrox in the shoot-out win, Clark distinguished himself again with a fine point-blank stop from Lee Erwin.
some will feel the striker should have diverted a volleyed Dennis cross into the net as he slid into the six-yard area. Whatever your take on it, a terrific chance had come and gone.
The only mercy for st Mirren was that st Johnstone took so long to take advantage. Yet there was always the likelihood they would. in their Betfred semi with Hibs, they absorbed everything Jack Ross’ side had to offer before captain Jason Kerr made the breakthrough before half-time.
Here, Davidson’s side were restricted to efforts from outside the area. Craig Bryson had one, while Kane blew the best when he blazed over from a good position.
There was an urgency from st Johnstone after the restart, but still st Mirren forced the issue. still they made the chances. And still they failed to take them.
shaun Rooney fell on his backside and Durmus stole in to force Clark into another stop.
Tired of seeing the chances come and go, Goodwin threw on
Quaner but it didn’t have quite the impact the Irishman hoped for.
On the pitch five minutes, the towering striker had a wonderful chance from six yards out after terrific work by Durmus.
The winger gave Rooney a torrid time, a deft nutmeg resulting in a delicious cross. If anything Quaner made too much contact with the ball, steering it wide.
The last time Hampden witnessed a miss like it, Chris Iwelumo was playing for Scotland against Norway in 2008. Ironically, he was a co-commentator on TV.
The next twist to the tale felt inevitable. Two goals in two minutes for St Johnstone knocked the guts from St Mirren despite a spirited late comeback.
The crying shame for Perth fans is that they stand on the verge of a third major trophy and they’ve yet to see their team win one in the flesh at Hampden — the 2014 triumph took place at Celtic Park.
Whatever happens, that won’t change when they face Hibs in two weeks’ time.