25/03/2017 – Dundee Utd (N)

Irn Bru Scottish Challenge Cup Final
25th March 2017
Fir Park, Motherwell

Dundee Utd 2-1 St. Mirren

Andreu 37
LOY 38
Mikkelsen 75

ATT: 8,089

Referee: Nick Walsh

Saints lose their second Challenge Cup final in their third appearance at this stage, with a 2-1 defeat at Fir Park, also the venue of their previous defeat, just over 23 years beforehand.
Over 5,000 Saints fan make up the bulk of the crowd, but watch on as Tony Andreu volleys home a stunning opener in glorious spring sunshine in Lanarkshire.
Saints equalise straight from the restart, as Gary Irvine slaloms up the park to set up Rory Loy who calmly finds the net with a tidy finish.
United find the winner during a flat second half when Mikkelsen heads home to win the trophy.
Saints real challenge however was in the league, where they remained bottom of the second tier with just 7 matches left.

No	Dundee United	St. Mirren	No
1	Cammy Bell (c)	Billy O’Brien	21
8	Stewart Murdoch	Gary Irvine	3
14	William Edjenguélé	Gary MacKenzie	6
4	Mark Durnan	Jack Baird	15
24	Jamie Robson	Adam Eckersley	44
16	Charlie Telfer	84 Kyle Magennis	42
14	Willo Flood	Stevie Mallan	10
22	Ali Coote 89	Stephen McGinn (c)	22
19	Tony Andreu	Lewis Morgan	17
23	Nick van der Velden 58	Rory Loy	16
9	Simon Murray 80	John Sutton	9
SUBSTITUTES
21	Luis Zwick	Jamie Langfield	1
3	Paul Dixon	Stelios Demetriou	2
5	Coll Donaldson 89	Andy Webster	4
6	Lewis Toshney	Pål Fjelde	23
20	Frank van der Struijk	Darren Whyte	35
11	Alex Nicholls 80	84 Connor O’Keefe	36
18	Thomas Mikkelsen 58	Ryan Watters	50
	Manager: Ray McKinnon	Manager: Jack Ross

05/11/2005 – Hamilton (N)

Bell’s Scottish Challenge Cup Final
5th November 2005
Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie

St. Mirren 2-1 Hamilton

Lappin 22
Turnbridge 47
Sutton 80

ATT: 9,673

Referee: Stuart Douglas

Close to 7,000 Saints fans witnessed the team clinch the 2005 Bell’s Cup after a close fought win over Hamilton Accies in Airdrie.
The attendance at the Excelsior Stadium is a record, that stands today, and the match kicks off over 30 mins late to allow the travelling support from Renfrewshire to finally beat the traffic and access the stadium.
Saints start very strongly, and cement their dominance when Simon Lappin fires home after his initial shot crashes off the bar and David Van Zanten returns the rebound to the back post leaving the young Saint with an easy chance.
Saints squander multiple opportunities to increase their lead, and pay the penalty immediately after half time when Scott Turnbridge has a tap in for Accies after Smith saved.
The match is very close after this, with both sides creating chances, however it is a surging run from Van Zanten that creates the winner with 10 minutes remaining, when he plows his way to the by-line and swings a cross, where John Sutton nods the ball home in the middle of the box.
This is Saints first success in the competition at the 12th attempt.

B&Q Scottish Challenge Cup Final
12th December 1993
Fir Park, Motherwell

Falkirk 3-0 St. Mirren

Duffy 47
Cadette 48
Hughes 65

ATT: 13,736

Referee: Douglas Hope

Saints lose in their first ever appearance of the Challenge Cup Final, a competition started only 3 seasons beforehand for lower league clubs.
Despite dominating for the entire first half, Saints can’t open the scoring, with Barry Lavety unlucky on a number of occasions and Tony Parks in the Falkirk goal in inspired form to keep the Paisley side out.
The Bairns make Saints pay by scoring twice in the opening 3 minutes of the second half, effectively ending the match with their first attempts at goal.
John Hughes adds a third midway through the half, and Saints can’t even muster a consolation when Neil Orr’s 25 yarder hits the bar.
The attendance is a record in the competition until 2012, when the new Rangers are admitted to the bottom tier of the professional ranks.
The match remains long in the memory of the 6,500 Saints fans in attendance due to the awful weather, with driving snow and rain making conditions probably the worst ever experience for the bulk of the Saints support in the one uncovered terracing then remaining at Fir Park.

Saints centre back Barry McLaughlin makes a splash in the awful weather at Fir Park as Richard Cadette of Falkirk tries to close him down.