Ochilview to a kill

Aug 8 2008 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

OCHILVIEW was the scene of a cup calamity which left traumatised eye witnesses from Perth seeking therapy.

A 4-0 Scottish Cup debacle during the Paul Sturrock era 13 years ago ranks among the grimmer results posted in a century-plus history.

But while the Third Division side provided an early fright and threatened a relapse for older Saints supporters in a modest 687 turn-out, calm heads and a significant impact from the bench contrived a scoreline which didn’t tell the true tale of a cup tie which was still in the balance with 11 minutes remaining.

The second-half was dominated by St Johnstone but finding a way through a determined Stenny defence was proving troublesome until manager Derek McInnes ushered in Steven Milne and Derek Holmes.

A brilliant delivery from the left by Gavin Swankie picked out Milne’s near post run and the glancing header into the far corner was perfection.

There was no way back for Stenhousemuir and their players knew it. Within the minute Holmes rose to plant a close range header into the top corner from a Chris Millar cross from the right. Then a striding Liam Craig run down the left culminated in a tap-in at the back post.

And with seconds remaining Martin Hardie rose ahead of the keeper to net a header and transform a potentially tight contest into a rout.

It was all so different from the opening phase when a fifth minute Ovenstone header was disallowed. But lively Stenhousemuir forged ahead with a brave 13th minute touch which left scorer Robert Love tangling with advancing keeper Euan McLean.

He launched himself into the fray after a Dalziel header and paid the price, leaving for hospital with an ankle injury.

Saints began to up the pace and Paul Sheerin took the familiar route to goal, tucking away a 24th minute penalty with aplomb. It had been fashioned by Hardie latching onto a Craig pass launched into the box, with the midfielder tumbling after a Thom tackle.

But the Perth midfield had Stenny’s young side expending energy trying to keep them at bay, with Millar and Sheerin bringing full-backs Craig and Gary Irvine into play more regularly.

The home side were rarely beyond the half-way line but Saints were given a reminder of how precarious cup football can be in the 72nd minute, when only a deflection eased a Gibson header inches past the upright.

Half-time replacement Stuart McCaffrey planted a Baltacha-style pass behind the defence for Irvine to surge onto but the full-back launched his angled attempt into outer space.

But the Perth side remained calm and composed, convinced the breakthrough was imminent.

While doubters behind the goal feared an extra-time shift, Milne, Holmes and Hardie ensured a Co-op dividend.

Stenhousemuir: Bennett, McEwan, Motion, Thom, Ovenstone, Desmond (Brazil 66), Love (Tyrrell 17), Shirra, Dalziel (Hampshire 73), Brand and Gibson. Subs not used: Smith and Renton.

St Johnstone: McLean, Irvine, Craig, Millar, Rutkiewicz (McCaffrey 46), James, Swankie, Hardie, Jackson (Milne 66), MacDonald (Holmes 77) and Sheerin. Subs not used: Weatherston and Kelly.

Referee: Chris Boyle.