Roundup of the 2020-21 Scottish Cup semi-finals as Dundee United, Hibernian, St Johnstone and St Mirren all looked to secure a spot in the Final.
Hibernian survived a tough contest against fellow bookies favourites, Dundee United to book their place in the showpiece finale to the 2020-21 Scottish Football season, where they will meet St Johnstone who scrapped their way past St Mirren.
Now here is a full roundup of all the action across both semi-finals.
Dundee Utd 0-2 Hibernian
With both teams coming into this opening semi-final as favourites for the title, Dundee Utd made a bright start when Lawrence Shankland played through for Ian Harkes, whose shot was comfortably saved by Matt Macey
Harkes then put a header wide from Marc McNulty’s cross after Melker Hallberg had fired wide for Hibernian just minutes earlier.
Jackson Irvine, Christian Doidge and Kevin Nisbet all saw chances go begging as Hibs soon took control of the first half, which paid dividends in the 27th minute when Jackson Irvine knocked an aerial pass down for Nisbet to rifle into the bottom left corner.
Nisbet saw a late chance to net a brace and double Hibs’ lead after firing wide on the counter-attack after Nicky Clark was intercepted up in the Hibees’ own box just moments earlier.
After half-time, Dundee Utd again made the brighter start as McNulty broke through only to be fouled just outside of the box, with Clark bending the resulting free-kick over the bar.
Hibs however got their second in the 58th minute after a goal-kick was intercepted and swiftly played to Nisbet on the turn, with the 24 year-old teeing up Boyle to unleash Doidge to bend his shot into the bottom right corner.
Micky Mellon’s Tangerines quickly set about trying to force their way back into the game as Shankland saw a shot flicked wide of the bottom right corner by Macey, before McNulty and Jamie Robson saw respective shots fire wide of top and bottom right corner.
Boyle and Nisbet then saw chances to seal victory for Hibs go begging as Deniz Mehmet denied them both with great saves, although the Edinburgh based club eventually clung on to secure their first Scottish Cup Final since winning the competition in 2016.
St Mirren v St Johnstone
A scrappy start saw Craig Bryson go close to the opening goal for St Johnstone just six minutes in but his shot was saved by Jak Alnwick.
Richard Tait produced St Mirren’s first proper chance five minutes later but flicked his shot wide of the bottom left corner.
Shaun Rooney saw two chances in seven minutes for St Johnstone go begging as he headed over before seeing a curled shot punched over by Alnwick, with Callum Booth curling wide just minutes later.
Kristian Dennis then produced the last of the best first half chances in the 31st minute, as his pullback for St Mirren teammate, Lee Erwin was saved by Zander Clark.
After the break, Rooney saw his shot deflected over seven minutes into the second half, resulting a corner which eventually was put wide by Bryson after David Wotherspoon’s strike was blocked by Alnwick.
Ilkay Durmus missed a chance to put St Mirren ahead two minutes later as he cut in from the left, only for his tightly angled shot to fire wide of the top right corner.
St Johnstone soon began to take control as Ali McCann and Chris Kane missed chances until a 72nd minute interception triggered a counter-attack, with Glenn Middleton swinging in a low cross for Kane to flick into the bottom right corner to put St Johnstone ahead.
Middleton doubled the Saints’ lead just two minutes later as he drew a foul from Joe Shaughnessy, before smashing the resulting free-kick in beyond Alnwick to put his team on the brink of a second cup final of this season.
Alnwick prevented a third conceded goal as he flicked Kane’s header over the bar four minutes later.
St Mirren soon set about chasing a comeback and reduced their two goal deficit in the 86th minute, as Conor McCarthy headed in from Jamie McGrath’s free-kick to give the three-time winners hope of forcing extra-time.
Eamon Brophy missed a huge chance to level the tie just one minute later as he curled his shot just wide of the top left corner.
St Johnstone eventually held on to reach only their fifth domestic final in all competitions, and first in the Scottish Cup since winning the 2013-14 edition against Dundee United.
This win for St Johnstone also means that for the sixth consecutive season, one team who reached the Scottish League Cup Final has also reached the last two of the Scottish Cup.
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