Mikael Mandron grabbed a dream double as St Mirren booked their place in the Premier Sports Cup final with a 4-1 win over Motherwell at Hampden Park.
The Buddies striker drilled in the opener after 25 minutes before fellow French-born attacker Dan Nlundulu added a second with a terrific strike five minutes before the break, with Mandron involved in the build-up.
Saints had to survive some intense second-half pressure but succumbed in the 83rd minute when Callum Hendry swept in a cross from fellow substitute Tom Sparrow only for Saints substitute Richard King to combine with Mandron before restoring Saints’ advantage three minutes later, with the 31-year-old former Motherwell striker adding a late fourth.
Stephen Robinson’s side will play the winners of Sunday’s Rangers v Celtic tie in the December 14 final, with the Paisley club looking to win their first trophy since beating Hearts in the 2013 League Cup final.
In some areas it was billed as a physical St Mirren side against a more silky Well outfit, a suggestion that irked Robinson but the Northern Irishman would have the last laugh.
Jayden Richardson and Alex Gogic returned from suspension for Saints as Miguel Freckleton passed a fitness test.
Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou brought back Liam Gordon, Emmanuel Longelo, Ibrahim Said, Elijah Just and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos.
It had been an open game before the Paisley side took the lead.
A low Declan John corner from the left seemed to be helped on by Gogic and Mandron, in a packed penalty area, took a touch before rifling the ball low past Well keeper Calum Ward for a landmark goal on his 100th appearance in black and white.
Well had complained about the ball still rolling when Gogic took a quick free-kick in the build-up but the Buddies cared little and moments later Mandron tried and failed with an audacious shot from long distance with Ward away outside his box.
However, when Mandron’s pass into the Motherwell box for Freckleton was cut out, the ball broke to Nlundulu at the edge of the penalty area and he drove a glorious shot past the diving Ward – scoring in a third successive game.
St Mirren were pushed on to the back foot at the start of the second half and Saints keeper Shamal George clutched a drive from 25 yards by Elliot Watt out of the air.
In the 63rd minute, George beat away a curling shot from Well substitute Callum Slattery, on for Said and then Just’s cross from the left was agonisingly missed a few yards from goal by Tawanda Maswanhise.
At the other end, when Watt was caught in possession by St Mirren substitute Jonah Ayunga, Mandron’s shot on the slide rebounded off the post and moments later Buddies’ tireless midfielder Killian Phillips missed the target with only Ward to beat.
However, it was all to play for when Hendry confidently buried a pass from Sparrow but Saints went up the park and King played a one-two with Mandron before squeezing the ball past Ward.
There was time for Phillips to smash a shot off the Motherwell crossbar before Mandron picked up the rebound to curl the ball past Ward, allowing Saints to look forward to their big day next month.
