St Johnstone have won the Scottish Cup after beating Dundee United 2-0.
St Johnstone have won their first ever Scottish Cup after 130 years of trying.
The Perth men defeated United in a thrilling Tayside derby that had the lot goals, excitement, controversy and near misses.
A goal in first half stoppage time from Steven Anderson and then a late Steven MacLean second sparked jubilation for the 15,000 travelling support from the Fair City.
Saints felt this was their day of destiny and so it proved, as United twice hit the woodwork at crucial stage of the game.
But the Tangerines were far from their best and this was another case of Saints having a perfect game plan to counter them.
The match got off to a ferocious start with both sides threatening before two minutes had passed.
First Stevie May nearly put his strike-partner Steven MacLean through on goal. Then a Ryan Dow cross was fumbled by Alan Mannus, but it fell kindly for him and he was bailed out by his defence.
On 10 minutes MacLean outmuscled Andy Robertson at the back post. He couldn’t take advantage though, and didn’t get a shot on target.
May is never shy to have a shot from distance and seconds later he was well wide of the post with a speculative 25-yarder.
Dunne came a good deal closer on 14 minutes when Rado Cierzniak was at full stretch to tip over a fierce shot from 20 yards.
Saints were the stronger team at this point and May won a free-kick 25 yards out which he took himself.
The shot struck the wall but broke off it kindly for David Wotherspoon whose effort from inside the box was kept out by a combination of Gavin Gunning and Cierzniak.
For all Saints’ pressure, United had greatest cause to curse the fact that they hadn’t broken the deadlock in 32 minutes.
Robertson delivered a perfectly weighted cross from the left for Dow who had burst into the box. The midfielder’s glancing effort beat Mannus and hit the inside of the post. It looked like the angle of the header and spin of the ball would take it in but instead it agonisingly stayed just the wrong side of the line for the Tangerines.
With United finishing the half in the ascendancy the half had one last and big sting in the tail.
We were into stoppage time when Cierzniak came for a Wotherspoon corner, and didn’t get near to it. Anderson took full advantage of the keeper’s mistake by heading the ball high into the net at the back post.
As you would expect, United came out for the second half and were straight on the front foot.
Dunne fouled Dow on the edge of the box and Ciftci hit the bar with the free-kick.
The United misfortune didn’t end there though. After the ball hit the woodwork it struck the body of Mannus, but didn’t go over the line and the Irishman was able to fall on top of it.
Saints thought they had stretched their lead shortly after through May, but he was (eventually) deemed to have handled his close-range effort. Whether he needed to use his hand to get it over the line though was more debatable.
The tackles were now flying and Saints conceded another free-kick near their box. Ciftci was again the man to step up but there was no near miss this time. More like a six-yard miss.
This thrilling match was summed up by the 61st minute, with a you attack, we attack passage of play.
First Wotherspoon went on a solo run that ended up with his shot blocked, and then United were able to counter and Robertson’s left-footer was turned round the post by Mannus.
On 69 minutes Dow beat the Saints offside trap but Mannus was alert to the danger and was able to punch the ball on the penalty spot before the United man could get to it. Watson got to the loose ball first but fired over.
On 80 minutes Gavin Gunning mis-hit a long range shot. It turned into a useful pass though, and substitute Brian Graham controlled the ball, turned and tried to find the far corner with a curling left-footer. It didn’t though.
Three minutes later Ciftci drove forward and let fly from around 20 yards. His low shot beat Mannus but fizzed just past the post.
On 84 minutes Saints got their second. Cierzniak looked like he’d done his job by blocking a MacLean shot but as the striker lay on the ground he managed to hook the ball into the net.
He ran into the ecstatic Saints crowd and Tommy Wright did a Jose Mourinho, charging down the touchline.
May 17 was indeed written in the stars.