St Mirren 3 Motherwell 0: Adam the romantic hero of Love Street
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Your support makes all the difference.St Mirren are dusting down their act in readiness for returning to the top flight next season but yesterday they passed an audition as they knocked Motherwell out of the Scottish Cup at St Mirren Park.
A first-half shot from Charlie Adam, on loan from Rangers, hinted at a shock in this third-round tie and that was confirmed by John Potter's 74th-minute header.
However, Adam, who rejected the chance of being on the bench in the Champions' League to gain more tangible experience, netted John Sutton's set-up in stoppage time to top off a satisfying day for the hosts.
These two sides know what it is like to experience the feeling of going all the way to Hampden Park. They won the Scottish Cup within four years of each other - St Mirren in 1987 and Motherwell in 1991 - and if there is a disparity in their current status, that could be resolved if the First Division leaders St Mirren earn promotion to the Scottish Premier League.
Certainly, the Paisley side showed scant respect for Motherwell in a first half in which they tortured their visitors with swift counter-attacks. The principal weapon was Mark Corcoran, whose pace posed real problems for Terry Butcher's team.
Corcoran ought to have scored after 18 minutes after Adam had released him but while the teenager sidestepped the goalkeeper Graeme Smith, the subsequent angle was too tight and his shot thumped off the post to Motherwell's relief.
Smith then denied Stewart Kean, who also lashed another effort over the bar, before St Mirren's pressure brought a reward after 22 minutes.
Corcoran was the architect, eluding his marker, Martyn Corrigan, and instead of going across the face of goal, the winger intelligently cut the ball back into the path of Adam who steered a right-foot finish beyond Smith.
Motherwell were enveloped in frustration, as a booking for Richie Foran for sliding in on the St Mirren goalkeeper, Chris Smith, illustrated. Indeed, Corcoran could have deepened their gloom had his fine shot on the turn not been deflected narrowly wide just before half-time.
St Mirren's last taste of the top flight was five years ago but the club have ignored a backdrop of financial problems under their young manager, Gus MacPherson - who was a reserve player at Rangers when Butcher was captain there - to fashion a young team who play stylish football.
No one more so than Corcoran, whose teasing cross to the back post in the 65th minute might have been finished off by Adam had Stevie Hammell not headed the ball wide of his back post.
Alan Reid then came close with a testing cross that threatened to beat Smith. However, there was little the goalkeeper could do when St Mirren doubled their lead with 16 minutes left. Simon Lappin delivered yet another ball that was difficult to defend and the central defender Potter rose to thump a header into the roof of the net as Love Street exploded with ecstasy.
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