St Mirren's Historic Cup Victory
On a morning that would become one of the most memorable in St Mirren's history, manager Stephen Robinson moved his team to tears.
Robinson, who is now poised to be remembered as one of the greatest managers in the club's history, gathered heartfelt messages from the families of his players to inspire them ahead of their Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic.
"This is who you’re doing it for," was the powerful message conveyed.
Defender Miguel Freckleton shared, "We had a moment before the game when the manager showed us a video of our families, and it was emotional for all of us. None of us expected it, and when he played a family photo, everyone was ready to see their loved ones. It was tough but definitely gave us a boost of confidence."
Conor McMenamin, who joined the team from Northern Ireland two years ago, humorously remarked, "I didn’t think it motivated us; we were all sad getting on the bus!" Meanwhile, injured captain Mark O'Hara admitted, "There were a few tears." This illustrates Robinson's ability to surprise his squad when they needed it most.
Despite the unexpected emotional moment, it proved to be a source of strength for St Mirren, who carried the weight of their responsibility with composure. Before the match began, the team acknowledged their supporters in a manner that indicated they were ready for success, even before Marcus Fraser scored the opening goal 22 minutes into the match.
"We just felt it; we had that belief all week," Fraser said. Two-goal hero Jonah Ayunga echoed this sentiment, stating, "We met the fans at the calendar signing this week, and this was all they spoke about. To get the chance to play in this, let alone win it and score, I couldn’t imagine it any better. Not a bad day’s work, eh?"
‘It’s nice for the tactics to come off for once’
Indeed, it was a remarkable day at the office. In their semi-final against Motherwell just last month, St Mirren players were greeted by a 'faith over fear' display from their fans. On a gloomy day at Hampden, St Mirren demonstrated the belief they had in themselves to secure their second title in this competition.
Robinson advised his players, "If you play with fear, you’re not organized, and that means you don’t believe in your ability. We said to have faith; you are stronger, quicker, and capable of causing real problems."
This message resonated in the second half as they outplayed the cup holders. After conceding an equalizer from Reo Hatate, St Mirren could have retreated, but Robinson changed the game plan.
"I wasn’t happy with the last 20 minutes of the first half," he explained. "We adjusted our strategy, with Keanu Baccus man-marking [Callum] McGregor, while our two forwards man-marked their outside centre-halves. We left the middle one on the ball, which allowed us to press effectively. I knew we’d create many counter-attacking chances by doing that. It’s nice for the tactics to come off for once."
‘It’s the icing on the cake’
While said in jest, this victory is far from Robinson's first triumph with St Mirren. However, it stands out as his most significant achievement. Danny Lennon, who led the Saints to their inaugural League Cup win in 2013, remarked that Robinson has "laid the foundations for an incredible era" at the club.
With three consecutive top-six finishes and a return to European football for the first time in 37 years, accolades have followed, but Robinson sought silverware to validate their efforts. Having previously led Motherwell to two Hampden finals, where they fell short against Celtic, he ultimately succeeded in his third final, with no luck involved.
Ayunga expressed, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’ve been playing since I was 17, and now, at nearly 30, this was my first chance to win anything. The manager deserves this; his accomplishments year after year are remarkable. This is the icing on the cake."
McMenamin, 30, added, "We came here believing in ourselves and that we could beat Celtic. We deserved to lift that trophy. It’s the only thing this team hasn’t achieved in recent years - top-six finishes and European football. Now we have silverware, and we’ll go down in history."
Indeed, they will be remembered as a team of distinction in Paisley. Robinson's legacy is secure, and he joked, "I think I’ve got the freedom of Vienna’s nightclub now," as he celebrated on his way to the town center party.