This will be a five part series, one part on each of the next five days before the big preview on Friday. I've no idea when each article will be online each day, so keep checking the site to see when.
Saints' road to the cup final must be the longest of any team for quite some time. Due to our poor league performance last season, we had to start off in the first round - the majority of the other SPL teams not starting until the second round at the earliest. The draw appeared to be kind to us, sending us to Ochilview to take on third division East Stirlingshire.
Lee Mair and Paul Gallacher made their Saints debuts alongside Michael Higdon, while the game turned out to be the one and only appearance for Mo Camara this season - meaning he'll end up with some sort of medal after next week!
Billy Mehmet seems to revel playing against lower league sides in cup ties and so it proved in Larbet. It took him just six minutes to open the scoring and he had an incredible hat-trick by the 20 minute mark thanks to a defensive mistake and our first goal from a corner since Cliff Richard was just a lad.
That should have been that - but then the roof caved in. Stephen Maguire got one back, then Andy Rodgers made it 3-2. It was positively brown trousers time just before the break when Gallacher parried away a free-kick and Rodgers tucked away the rebound.
With the Saints fans watching on in disbelief at their side squandering a lead, Mehmet put us back in front just before the break. He got a fifth in the second half before sub Stephen O'Donnell restored the three goal advantage. This time, there was to be no way back for the Shire.
So, we'd overcome the first hurdle, but by God we'd made it difficult for us. We had to step up a few divisions for the second round clash as a trip to first division Ayr United awaited.