ORAN KEARNEY won’t forget his first Scottish Cup experience in a hurry. His St Mirren team remain in the competition but only after an astonishing conclusion to a tumultuous fourth round tie that saw Alloa Athletic move into a two-goal lead only to be eventually caught and overhauled by their Premiership hosts.

The victory was a reward for St Mirren’s persistence but harsh on the Championship part-timers who had been the better side throughout much of the game and stood just five minutes from what would have been a famous win. St Mirren, reduced to 10 men after just 28 minutes, dug deep to land two crucial late goals, and send a huge wave of relief coursing through their manager.

The winning strike three minutes from time came from Kyle McAllister, the winger signed on loan from Derby County only the previous afternoon. McAllister had scored only once in his previous stint at St Mirren and that also in the Scottish Cup. This one, though, carried far greater significance as he helped his team into the fifth round while avoiding what would have been an embarrassing slip-up in front of their own fans. Kearney was a relieved man come the end as he tried to sum it up.

“I have been in cup competitions long enough that I would have taken 2-2 and then dealt with the replay,” he said. “But it was a grandstand finish from us. The new players don’t have the scars from the past and we have a [strong] mentality there now. It was crazy but that is cup football. I have to give the boys credit for coming through this.”

For 85 minutes this had looked like the perfect homecoming for Jim Goodwin, the Irishman who lifted the League Cup for St Mirren during a five-year playing spell. His team stood on the brink of a famous victory only for first Ethan Erhahon, who poked in his first senior goal, and then McAllister to break his heart, although Goodwin blamed himself for the half-time tinkering that ultimately cost his team.

“I tried to be too clever and changed the tactics a little bit,” he sighed. “We knew St Mirren would commit a lot of bodies forward and I thought we could hit them on the counter attack. But it didn’t work out as we had hoped. I’ve enjoyed a lot of plaudits in the last two or three months but today I need to take responsibility for that second half.”

It wasn’t a good day for everyone at St Mirren. Brad Lyons was one of four debutants selected by Kearney but would last less than half an hour in his first appearance since arriving on loan from Blackburn Rovers. He could have no complaints about his first booking for a late tackle on Andy Graham, but few inside the stadium had expected referee Don Robertson to show him a second yellow card for simulation after Lyons appeared to be tripped by Graham.

Alloa were already a goal to the good by then. They had looked comfortable from the start and deservedly went in front after 25 minutes. Liam Dick made strong headway down Alloa’s left flank and his cutback was perfectly weighted for Alan Trouten who finished low into the corner.

The red card imbued Alloa with greater confidence, and after 34 minutes they moved into an even more commanding position when they scored a second. It was a spectacular effort, Kevin Cawley’s drive from just outside the box sailing high past Vaclav Hladky in goal.

That seemed to be that but St Mirren belatedly found their feet in the second half. Cody Cooke gave them a lifeline when he followed in Simeon Jackson’s shot to bundle in their first goal before Erhahon drew them level with his first senior goal. With a replay looming, McAllister stole the show with a spectacular shot into the far corner.