St Johnstone 3-0 Hibernian – Perth team beat favorites to reach Scottish League Cup final

St Johnstone seized a great opportunity to win its first League Cup, says manager Callum Davidson, after his team upset favorite Hibernian in the semi-final.

Craig Conway sealed the victory and a meeting with Livingston or St Mirren in the final on February 28.

“The Old Firm has dominated the cup competitions,” Davidson said.

“So when you have that opportunity, you have to try to take advantage of it. In the first half they tried hard, in the second half they took advantage of it.

“I am delighted that we succeeded. Now we have a chance to win a trophy this season.”

It will be only the Perth club’s third League Cup final as the last time they came to the conclusion of the tournament was in 1999, where they lost to Rangers.

The story, plus a 17-point gap between them and Hibs in the Scottish Premiership, meant this result was not in the script, even if St Johnstone’s results this season belied their performances.

However, there was no doubt that the absence of Old Firm and Aberdeen meant that Hibs was the favorite to lift the trophy and could actually have booked a trip back to Hampden for the break.

After a cautious opening, Jack Ross’s side opened up some great opportunities but didn’t take them, and Jamie Murphy had the best two in seconds.

An Alex Gogic cross was helped on his way right in front of the goal, but his lateral effort was blocked by Zander Clark before he hit the rebound off the crossbar. It was the clearest example of Hibs’s waste, but not an isolated incident.

Jackson Irvine drove two headers toward goal, but one flew wide and the other rocked the outside of a post, and Paul Hanlon also forced Clark into action moments before Murphy’s golden opportunities.

St Johnstone offered little during those first 35 minutes, but was clinical in cashing in on his first corner of the night. David Wotherspoon huddled in a fantastic corner that Kerr crashed into the net, overtaking Ryan Porteous as he advanced.

Despite his goal, the Perth side retreated deeper and deeper and needed to hold on to possession better and get more support up front to get a break, with striker Chris Kane often isolated.

But just four minutes into the second half, they delivered a brutal blow via another bullet header from Rooney. Once again, the delivery, this time from Conway, was as exquisite as the Hib’s mark was poor.

Rather than sitting deep this time, St Johnstone had no intention of settling for 2-0 as they built up his confidence and increased the pressure on Hibs.

Rooney, who played on the right-back, was at the center of the situation, as he frequently drove into the box to wreak havoc, none other than for the third goal, when he cleverly selected Conway to touch the bottom and effectively seal the score. victory with one goal. a full half hour still to play.

Man of the match – Shaun Rooney

What did we learn?

St Johnstone can score goals. The lack of them has meant the league results haven’t matched performances, but the three strikes at Hampden were fantastic. Kerr and Rooney’s headers are as good as you’re likely to see all season, and the third was tremendously well worked.

After taking advantage of luck for the first 35 minutes, Davidson’s team grew in confidence and often exposed Hibs’ left channel in attack, as he retired his solid five running backs with expert efficiency when needed. It was a fully deserved triumph.

As for Hibs, this is a horrible hit. They have now lost two semi-finals in the last three months, and all five since lifting the Scottish Cup in 2016.

Ross keeps talking about progressing at the club by making sure they compete for trophies and European places, so a throwback to the old fragile mentality on the big occasion should be a big concern. This cup was there to drink.

Their tightness in attack made life easier for all three of St Johnstone’s defenders than it could have, and once behind they couldn’t find any answers to change the momentum of the game. That said, if Murphy had buried one of his two attempts, it’s a different game.

What they say

St Johnstone Manager Callum Davidson: “I thought Hibs were the best team in the first half, especially in the first 35 minutes. We handled our luck a bit. We dug deep and it allowed us to go and get a result.”

Hibernian Head Coach Jack Ross: “We didn’t deserve to be behind at halftime, but we did. We lost our way a lot in the second half, our reaction to conceding the second goal wasn’t good enough.”

Whats Next?

Both teams are in action in the Premiership on Wednesday, with St Johnstone hosting Aberdeen (18:00 GMT), and Hibs welcoming league leaders Rangers at Easter Road (19:45).