In a quite astonishing match, St Mirren finally came out on top following eight goals, over 120 minutes and a penalty shoot-out in which half of the attempts were unsuccessful. They rode their luck at times but they will feel that they did enough during a pulsating first half to warrant their progress.
Jim Goodwin’s side contrived to surrender a three-goal first-half lead but maintained their composure in the face of an onslaught from the home side to the delight of the travelling fans.
Saints’ spot-kick heroes were Jamie McGrath, Kyle McAlliaster and Jon Obika (with Tony Andreu and Cammy MacPherson missing). while Rolando Aarons and Liam Polworth converted for Motherwell, unlike Liam Donnelly, Tony Watt and Jermaine Hylton.
The result means they will be at home to the winners of tonight’s fifth-round replay between Kilmarnock and
Aberdeen in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup while Motherwell’s winless sequence is extended to six matches.
Saints started as they meant to go on when top scorer Obika volleyed home a sumptuous cross from Ilkay Durmus to give them the lead. Motherwell battled back and Liam Polworth drilled home from 18 yards for the equaliser.
However, the visitors continued to look the likelier side and they went ahead again when Obika was left unmarked at a Cammy MacPherson cross and his drive from 15 yards left Mark Gillespie helpless.
Their superiority was underlined with two goals inside 60 seconds before the interval. Obika saw a shot come back off Peter Hartley, Sam Foley’s effort from the rebound was parried by Gillespie but bounced off Hartley and into the net.
Motherwell’s cause looked hopeless when Foley made it 4-1 after Well’s defence made a hash of clearing a Durmus cross and the Irishman beat Gillespie low to his right.
The home players were a completely different proposition after the break. Watt, starting for the first time since leaving CSKA Sofia last month, created space for himself and saw his shot take a nick off a defender on its way past Vaclev Hladky.
Saints were rocking and Motherwell roared back into contention with two fluke goals in the space of a minute. Rolando Aarons’ delivery from the right sailed over Hladky’s head before dipping under the crossbar, before midfielder Allan Campbell then forced extra time with another cross-shot which was deflected over the Czech goalkeeper.
The drama of the shoot-out was a fitting finale after a compelling 30 minutes of extra-time, although it spoiled one of the great comebacks of the current campaign.
Jim Goodwin said: “At 4-4 I feared the worst so I have to give credit to my players as there was time on the clock and they could have thought it wasn’t their night.
“Relief is the main emotion right now.
“I am embarrassed by the second half but we are there in the quarter final and we are delighted to be there.
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