Dogged Dundee cave in under pressure of penalties as St Mirren sneak into next round of Scottish Cup

St Mirren goalkeeper Jamie Langfield (R) celebrates with goalkeeper Trevor Carson after winning the shootout against Dundee,

St Mirren extended their unbeaten home record to 11 matches but only by the skin of their teeth. Pushed all the way by a dogged and determined Dundee side who created the better chances throughout a fairly turgid 120 minutes, they required a penalty shoot-out to book their place in the last 16 of the Scottish Cup.

Trevor Carson had been one of Saints’ better players in the contest which made it fitting that it was the Northern Irishman who emerged as the hero, saving all three of Dundee’s penalties to get his team out of jail and into the hat.

Dundee were outsiders here but certainly no long-odds, no-hopers. Bouncing back immediately to the Premiership is their priority for the season but, backed by a sizeable away support, they travelled to Paisley looking to extend their cup prospects, too. They made more than a decent fist of it, too, until the pressure of penalties proved too great at the end.

One part of the gameplan, however, had to be shelved within five minutes. Tyler French’s attempts to halt Alex Gogic’s forward run only ended in trouble for the Dundee midfielder. It looked like a nasty injury right away and, after eight minutes of on-field treatment, the midfielder departed on a stretcher to warm applause from all sides.

St Mirren have made a virtue of playing predominantly without the ball this season but against lower-division opposition were forced to try to make more of the play. Even with large swathes of possession, however, they struggled to break down a dogged Dark Blues defence. Ryan Strain twice tried his luck from long-range free kicks, the first landing in Adam Legzdins’ arms and the second flying high over the crossbar. Mark O’Hara was similarly ambitious with a left-foot raker that lacked the power or accuracy to truly trouble the goalkeeper.

Dundee comfortably soaked it all up and looked to threaten on the counter and via dead-ball deliveries. There wasn’t anything to hugely tax Carson in the home goal by this stage although he would have been relieved to see Scott Tanser rush over to deny Max Anderson time and space to get a shot away. Carson had a bit more to do in the final minute of the first half, stretching to push away Lyall Cameron’s goalbound volley.

Saints made a double half-time switch to try to add greater urgency to their play but what unfolded was more of the same; the home team dominating but looking as threatening in attack as a napping kitten. When Alex Greive did force the ball into the net he was quickly flagged for offside, another anti-climactic incident in a match to forget.

Dundee shoved on two centre forwards – Cillian Sheridan and a debut for Kwame Thomas – perhaps sensing a heightening anxiety among the hosts. They ought to have moved in front not long after when Cameron spun brilliantly to meet Josh Mulligan’s cross but couldn’t beat Carson with his tame effort.

Extra-time had felt an inevitability from fairly early on and it duly followed. Even then a goal wouldn’t come, Gogic somehow firing a shot against the goalkeeper from close range.

That meant penalties. Eamonn Brophy missed first for St Mirren but Carson rescued him, saving from Zak Rudden, Thomas and Cameron to send his team through.