ST JOHNSTONE continued their remarkable rampage through the reputations of their supposed superiors last night as they claimed a place in the semi-finals of the Tennent's Scottish Cup for the first time in eight years.
Goals from Peter MacDonald and Jason Scotland earned the First Division side their fourth SPL scalp of the season in the domestic cup competitions, adding Motherwell to their earlier humiliations of Rangers, Dundee United and Falkirk.
This was a victory far more convincing than the final scoreline suggests, with Ross McCormack's reply for Maurice Malpas' curiously subdued team seven minutes from time giving a completely false impression of a closely contested cup tie.
The truth was that Owen Coyle's players almost completely dominated the quarter-final and are worthy of their place in tonight's semi-final draw.
With the tie afforded the platform of live terrestrial television coverage, it was the source of considerable dismay to hear St Johnstone striker Jason Scotland subjected to racist chanting from a small group of spectators in the Main Stand on the first couple of occasions he took possession of the ball.
There was, however, a gratifying response from the bulk of the Motherwell supporters seated adjacent to the ignorant few as they shouted them down forcibly and called on stewards to take action.
It was an example of self-policing which appeared to work as Scotland's next touch of the ball was mercifully not greeted with the same kind of abuse.
For his own part, the Trinidad and Tobago international reacted in the best possible manner as he contributed to a bright start to the tie from the Perth club. One terrific turn and run into the heart of the Motherwell penalty area saw goalkeeper Graeme Smith make a fine blocking save at his right hand post to keep out Scotland's low drive.
Smith had plenty with which to occupy himself as his outfield team-mates appeared sluggish and lacking in imagination compared to a Saints outfit clearly full of conviction they could repeat their earlier cup heroics against SPL opposition this season.
Willie McLaren posed a particular threat to the home defence with his powerful running and good close control on the right of the Saints midfield. The former Airdrie player came close with a couple of well-struck long-range efforts, the first blocked bravely by Motherwell captain Stephen Craigan and the second parried to safety by Smith.
Motherwell were very much on the back foot, Martyn Corrigan making a terrific interception to divert Martin Hardie's powerful drive away from danger and the growing sense of inevitability that St Johnstone would take the lead was justified in the 21st minute. McLaren was at the heart of the goal, his piercing run and cross from the right picking out Peter MacDonald who scooped a shot over the helpless Smith into the roof of the net from around 12 yards. There was little in the way of a response from Motherwell.
They seemed dumbfounded by the manner in which St Johnstone had taken a grip of the tie, although they had been well warned beforehand of the challenge their visitors posed.
The only consolation for Malpas and his players was that they were only one goal behind at the interval. They owed that good fortune to a poor finish from Scotland, who guided a free header from Paul Sheerin's cross over the top from around ten yards, and a brilliant one-handed diving save from Smith who kept out Hardie's downward header from Goran Stanic's fine left wing delivery.
By contrast, but for a Scott McDonald shot deflected wide for a corner just before half-time, there was little to trouble the St Johnstone defence in a first half far more comfortable than they could possibly have imagined. While Motherwell sought to intensify their attacking efforts when they re-emerged, presumably following a dressing down from Malpas, they were unable to produce anything to unduly concern Saints keeper Kevin Cuthbert or his well-organised back four.
The match became increasingly bogged down in midfield and although this suited the visitors, it was they who still carried far greater menace when they did get forward.
McLaren and MacDonald almost successfully repeated the combination which had brought the breakthrough, this time the striker glancing a header wide from the wide man's excellent cross.
Malpas sent on Irish winger Trevor Molloy for the ineffective Steven McGarry in an attempt to bring more width and creativity to his ailing side, but it was becoming increasingly unlikely the tide would turn in their favour.
Smith, by a distance his team's most accomplished performer, made another good save to keep out a long range shot from Hardie but he could do nothing to prevent St Johnstone's thoroughly merited second goal 19 minutes from time.
The eye-catching Stanic made another burst forward from left-back and lofted in a cross from the byline which Scotland gleefully headed beyond Smith from close range.
McCormack set up a dramatic finale when he stabbed the ball home from close range in the 83rd minute, but Saints came closer to adding to their lead in the closing minutes than Motherwell did to grabbing an equaliser which would have amounted to robbery.
Motherwell: Graeme Smith, Corrigan, Craigan, Reynolds, Murphy (Clarkson 73), McGarry (Molloy 58), Kerr, Fitzpatrick (Keegan 82), Paterson, McCormack, McDonald.
Subs not used: Martin, Quinn.
St Johnstone: Cuthbert, Lawrie, McManus, Mensing, James, Stanic, McLaren (Morais 83), Hardie, Sheerin, MacDonald (Milne 90), Scotland (Jackson 89). Subs not used: Halliwell, Dyer.
JASON Scotland last night expressed his disappointment at being on the receiving end of racist abuse for the first time in his four years in Scottish football.
The St Johnstone striker, who scored what proved to be his side's winning goal in their Scottish Cup quarter-final against Motherwell at Fir Park, said he tried to ignore the chants from a small section of the home support in the early stages of the tie.
The offenders were shouted down by other Motherwell fans and the abuse ceased, but Scotland, who was informally adopted by the Tartan Army when we was in the Trinidad and Tobago squad at last year's World Cup finals, admitted to a deep sense of satisfaction at scoring the goal which knocked the SPL club out of the cup.
"To get that kind of abuse is awful," said the former Dundee United player. "That is the first time it has ever happened to me in Scotland. I am disappointed, especially as when I was at the World Cup last year I had Scotland on the back of my shirt and behind me.
"I didn't really notice the chants, I was just playing my normal game. I maybe heard it, but I paid it no mind. The best way to answer them is by scoring the goal and letting my feet do the talking.
"
St Johstone join Celtic, Hibs and Dunfermline in tonight's semi-final draw and Saints manager Owen Coyle has no preferences who his giant-killing specialists are paired with. "Before the CIS Cup semi-final draw, I wanted to avoid Hibs, but we ended up being so close to beating them," said Coyle. "We are delighted to be in another semi and I'm sure the other three teams will all be crying out to get us.
"
Motherwell manager Maurice Malpas admitted his team were second best on the night. "Our attitude wasn't right and we were punished for it," he said.
News RSS