St Johnstone pulled off one of the biggest shocks in the club’s 128-year history by completing a remarkable 2-1 aggregate win over Rosenborg to send the Norwegians spinning out of the Europa League.
The Perth outfit stunned the 22-time Norwegian champions with Frazer Wright’s winner in Trondheim and then completed the job at McDiarmid as young striker Stevie May netted a precious equaliser to secure safe passage to the third qualifying round.
The incredible two-leg victory is Tommy Wright’s first act as new Saints boss and sets up a meeting with Beluarusians FC Minsk.
Wright had downplayed his side’s chances ahead of the match but his attempts were laughed off by Rosenborg coach Per Joar Hansen as merely “mind games”.
The Perth boss had suggested that the Norwegians were favourites to go through and tried to heap pressure on the visitors by claiming that an early exit for the former Champions League quarter-finalists would be seen as a “disaster” in their homeland.
The ploy worked a treat as St Johnstone refused to let an early strike for the visitors unsettle their hopes of progressing and worked doggedly in the closing stages to seal a famous win.
For full match coverage and reaction, see Friday’s Courier or try our digital edition.