Billy Mehmet may have got the only goal, but we should have had two or three more as we dominated for most of the game. Hearts came back into things late on and you began to worry we'd maybe lost our chance, but it's hard to think of Paul Gallacher having one real save to make.
We harried, battled, fought and challenged for everything. Every player was superb, there were no failures, and they fully deserve their place in the League Cup Final. A day out at Hampden awaits for everyone and in one fell swoop the negativity surrounding the club has gone. At least until mid-March!
Mirren Mad has been calling for a 3-5-2 to be used all season and finally it arrived - in our biggest game of the season! Surprisingly, there was no place for Steven Robb in the new system, with David Barron and Jack Ross filling in the wide rolls and Lee Mair, Chris Innes and John Potter at the back. Unfortunately for us, the dangerous Andrew Driver was back for Hearts.
Saints started brightly with the new formation, Michael Higdon and Mair both going close from headers before Higdon failed to take advantage of a decent opportunity by not even getting a shot away. We continued to push, Jack Ross unleashing a powerdrive with his left foot that deflected wide off of Marius Zaliukas, before Dorman found the side net after a decent run.
Hearts were playing the waiting game and almost took the lead with their first real chance, Driver's corner being flicked on by Christian Nade and Gordon Smith (no, not that one) flicking the ball just off target. That was pretty much it for the first half - an interesting enough game, but little in the way of chances.
We started well in the second half, Mehmet shooting just wide after being played in by Higdon. Kello then amusingly fluffed his kick out. Higdon pounced, but as he's not very quick, the Hearts defence and goalkeeper were able to keep it out.
Then, eight minutes into the second half, it happened. After the already booked Black clattered into David Barron, play was allowed to continue and switched to the other side of the park. Ross pounced, won possession and played the ball into the middle of the park. Higdon left it, Mehmet didn't and placed his shot just out of Kello's reach to leave the net bulging, creating scenes of pure ecstasy in two of Fir Park's four stands.
The Road Runner tried to double the lead but Kello was never going to be troubled, before Dorman wasted a golden chance. A Hearts corner failed, Mehmet played in Dorman and he raced forward before shooting straight at the Hearts goalkeeper.
We're not used to seeing fantastic pieces of individual skill from Saints players, but it happened midway through the second half when Mehmet did something Ronaldinho would have been proud of. He followed it up with a decent cross that was put behind for a corner, which unfortunately came to nothing. At the other end a defender stupidly didn't put the foot through it and tried to pass the ball out of defence and it almost ended in disaster, only for Nade to blast wide.
Unfortunately for us, this seemed to galvanise Hearts and they began looking more and more of a threat, with Driver cracking the post before cutting back for Nade, only for him to shoot wide. Higdon was then withdrawn, being replaced by Craig Dargo to inject a bit of pace up front. Saints attacks were getting rarer, but Ross did drag a shot with his left foot wide of the target. With eight minutes left Jim Jeffries used up his last sub of the night, putting Gary Glen on for Smith, before Dorman - putting in his best performance for month - was replaced by Stephen O'Donnell.
Three minutes of injury time were indicated, Eggert Jonsson showing it wasn't all over when he tried a shot that deflected wide off of a Saints defender - only for referee Charlie Richmond to indicate a goal kick. Mehmet and Nade got themselves booked for some handbags after we'd already won a free-kick. That meant more injury time, but it passed without incident and a massive roar greeted the sound of Charlie Richmond's full-time whistle.
I'll admit, I had tears in my eyes at full time. I've never seen us score in a semi-final and I've never seen us in a proper final. It was an emotional moment, up there with - well, my last visit to Fir Park for the miracle of Motherwell! That I've been able to type a semi-coherent match report is a miracle in itself.
Anyway, enough wittering from me, this night is about St. Mirren. Mehmet may have got the goal, but it was a wonderful, majestic team performance. One more of them at Hampden in March could well spark Paisley's biggest party since 1987.