St Mirren clinched a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Airdrie in extra time to secure their spot in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup.
Extra-Time Drama Seals the Deal
The match remained tense until the 115th minute, when substitute Roland Idowu netted the decisive goal. St Mirren had taken an early lead through Jacob Devaney’s first-half strike, only for Airdrie’s Euan Henderson to equalize and force extra time.
Stephen Robinson Reflects on Tough Encounter
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson acknowledged the pressure of the tie, noting his team faced a no-win scenario against fearless opponents. “You have to find a way,” Robinson stated. “Airdrie played without any fear. They’ve got nothing to lose. They’re not expected to go through.”
He highlighted how St Mirren started strongly, racing to a 1-0 lead, but then overcomplicated matters. “We went 1-0 up, started really well, and then we decided not to keep doing that,” Robinson explained. “We were through on goal three times in the first half-hour, and we decided to try to pass and walk it into the goal. Then it gets jittery.”
Robinson’s side snapped a seven-game winless streak with a midweek 1-0 win over Premiership leaders Hearts prior to this clash.
Praise for Match-Winner Idowu
The manager reserved special commendation for Idowu, who delivered under pressure. “He takes his goal well,” Robinson said. “He nearly scored again with his right foot. He’s a very talented player.” Robinson aimed for consistency from the Hearts lineup but noted some players appeared fatigued.
Airdrie Boss Sees Positives Despite Defeat
Airdrie manager Aaron Taylor-Sinclair declined to dwell on a potential penalty claim after Richard King’s challenge on Jamie Barjonas. “I haven’t seen it back,” he remarked. “About 50 people have told me it was a penalty, so I’ll have to watch it back. It’s just one of those that we’ll have to move on with.”
Taylor-Sinclair pointed to encouraging aspects, adding, “We’ve just competed with the League Cup winners and a top-six side, so there are lots of positives to take.”
