THE padlocks will not need to be removed from the gates at Love Street after all. St Mirren withstood a comeback from Brechin City to book their place in the fifth round of the Homecoming Scottish Cup, where they will meet either Inverurie Locos or Motherwell. It means Love Street, on stand-by in case of the need for a replay, can now be given the last rites.
For a spell last night, however, it looked as though Brechin were intent on making one last visit to St Mirren's now former home. Neil Janczyk cancelled out Jim Hamilton's penalty opener but St Mirren, helped by a nervy performance from Brechin's sta
nd-in goalkeeper Chris McCluskey, scored twice more in the second-half, through Dennis Wyness and Hamilton again.
New Brechin manager Jim Duffy occupied a seat in the main stand, as was his stated intention pre-match. It did not prevent him getting involved, with his bellowed instructions still easily heard by the players on a still, clear night in Angus. Duffy was perhaps still simmering from having had to name an outfield player, Adam Nelson, as substitute goalkeeper. With regular No 1 Craig Nelson absent due to a family bereavement his back-up, McCluskey, was promoted to the first team. But this left Brechin without another substitute keeper, something demanded by SFA rules since Aberdeen were forced to replace the injured Jim Leighton with striker Robbie Winters just minutes into the 2000 Scottish Cup final against Rangers.
One of the first things McCluskey had to do was fish the ball out of the back of the net at the cemetery end of the ground. St Mirren took the lead in the 24th minute, but had done precious little in the time leading up to this breakthrough. The home side had proved more urgent, but were undone by a penalty, awarded after John Ward upended Andy Dorman on the fringe of the box. The veteran Hamilton had little trouble converting the award.
The pitch had a crispness to it, and caused referee Stephen Finnie some concern when he arrived, but the heat of a frantic cup-tie, and the studs of 23 pairs of boots, soon softened the surface, with Brechin the first to find their feet.
It was nothing if not a hectic cup-tie, played beneath an impressive moon. The tackles could be heard at the back of the stand, as could McCluskey's brave dive as he fell at the feet of an onrushing Dorman just before half-time. This helped keep his side in the tie.
The Brechin fans in the stand grumbled about the referee as the teams left the field half-time, but Duffy rushed from his seat to the dressing room. He was due to give his first half-time team-talk as manager since his departure from Dundee in 2005, and there was little time to waste.
Duffy has clearly not lost his ability to inspire, with his side levelling the scores almost immediately after the re-start. Twigg's header across the goal wrong-footed the St Mirren defence, and former Hearts midfielder Janczyk strode purposefully into the box and rifled a fine equaliser into the roof of the net. The result was a mass splashing of homemade Glebe Park soup on the laps of Brechin supporters in the main stand. For a few moments, St Mirren were rattled. Richard Walker, the Brechin right-back, made it the byeline, but his cross was just too far in front of John Baird.
Darren Smith then had an even better chance to push Brechin in front after a Byers cross had been cleared. But, having had time to steady himself in the St Mirren box, he drove the ball over the bar. This pair of wasted opportunities were made harder to bear just minutes later, when St Mirren stole ahead again in the 56th minute. The goal was a personal disaster for McCluskey, who dropped a cross from the right under the always awkard attentions of Hamilton. He tried in vain to re-claim it, with Wyness able to take a touch and then stroke the ball into the far corner of the net.
Brechin briefly thought they had gained another equaliser when Baird rolled the ball into the net after 69 minutes. A linesman's flag halted the celebrations and St Mirren went two ahead a minute later. A long ball from Jack Ross prompted a calamitous mix-up between McCluskey and Ward, and Hamilton stepped in to take advantage. Love Street has officially seen its last game.
Brechin City: McCluskey; Walker, Ward, Seeley, Dyer; Janczyk, Byers, Nimmo, Smith; Baird, Twigg. Subs: Adam Nelson, King, Murie, Fusco, Diack.
St Mirren: Howard; Ross, Cuthbert, Potter, Miranda; Thomson, Murray, Dornan, McGinn; Hamilton, Wyness. Subs: Smith, Mason, Brady, Brighton, Robb.
