Stranraer 1 Saints 3 (after extra-time)
Team: Cuthbert,Robertson, Marco, McCluskey, Murray
,Maxwell, McCann, Reilly,Hartley,Stevenson,Russell
Subs: Main, Paddy, Hay, Parker, Dods
St. Johnstone swept into attack from the kick-off in this CIS Cup second-round tie at Stair Park, Craig Russell bursting through the middle before shooting over from 20 yards. Mark Reilly delivered a neat free-kick only to see home keeper John Hillcoat hold the low header.
In the 17th minute though, the keeper had no answer to a sizzling rising shot from Marc McCulloch which put Saints ahead. Stranraer were showing plenty of fight but missed a great chance to pull level when Paul Kerr came in behind the Saints' defence but sliced his shot wide with the goal at his mercy. They equalised in the 27th minute though thanks to another goal from McCulloch - this time an own goal - after good work by Finlayson and Harty forced the Saints defender into slicing the ball past Cuthbert.
Right on the interval Saints' Paul Hartley was booked for tripping Kerr from behind.
On the resumption, Kerr and Hodge pushed hard for Stranraer but their good leading up work was wasted when Finlayson crossed wildly with no one up. Saints pressed to regain the lead and Hartley, Ian Maxwell and Ryan McCann all came close. This was followed by a flurry of ill-tempered tackles and Harty and team-mate Steve Aitken were yellow-carded.
Keigan Parker who had replaced Saints' Ryan Stevenson came close for the visitors with a drive which was only a shade high. Saints' Reilly was booked for a foul on Finlayson in 71 minutes and McCluskey was booked for dissent a minute later.
Into extra time it was Saints who edged in front again w hen Chris Hay who came on for Russell in the 77th minute, tried his luck with a 25-yard drive, saw it deflect off a defender and leave Hillcoat helpless. Four minutes before the end the former Celtic player put St Johnstone safely through to the next round when he popped up almost on the goal line to turn in a simple cross and make the score 3-1.
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