St Johnstone chase history spot

Jan 9 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

DEREK McInnes has the chance to make history when Saints go head to head with cup holders Rangers.

No Perth manager has engineered the downfall of the Glasgow club in the Scottish Cup.

McInnes came as close as anyone when the Perth side missed out in the penalty shoot-out which settled last term’sScottish Cup semi-final at Hampden.

Club historian Brian Doyle reckons the law of averages are on the side of Saints.

He said: “This will be the 14th time the clubs have met in this competition, including two replays and Saints have yet to record a win.

“In fact, scoring goals has proved difficult with only five scored by four players.

“Last season's semi-final, when Rangers scraped through on penalties, must rank alongside the 3-3 draw at Muirton in 1981, when Ian Redford scored a late, late goal to deny Saints a famous victory.”

The clubs first clashed in the Scottish Cup in 1909, when Saints were playing in the Northern League.

Brian said: “A week before the match the old Recreation Grounds had been so badly flooded that the goalposts were more like water polo goals.

“Newspaper reports at the time indicate that Rangers offered Saints £100 to switch the match to Glasgow but the Saints committee politely declined their offer.

“The local fire brigade spent all of Thursday and Friday morning pumping the water off the field before tons of cinders were laid, then rolled flat on the ground.

“The game went ahead in front of a record crowd paying £157, with Rangers fielding a strong team including two full Scottish Internationalists.

“In the first-half the part-time Saints played a backs to the wall game and managed to get to half-time with the match goalless.

“Rangers scored early in the second half through Stark which meant that Saints had to take a more positive approach.

“This in turn left space for Bennett to notch a second.

“While the home team pressed hard they couldn’t find a way past goalkeeper Rennie and Campbell registered a late goal to make the scoreline 3-0 in favour of the visitors.”

Tuesday will see the third Scottish Cup tie between Saints and Rangers at McDiarmid Park.