St Mirren 3 - 0 Motherwell

Higdon heads first goal

Updated: October 28, 2009, 7:54 AM UK

St Mirren swept into the Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-finals after they struck three goals against Motherwell for the second time in four days.

• Buddies' boss hails Higdon

Michael Higdon headed home his first goal at St Mirren Park midway through the first half and Jack Ross added a deflected second just after the hour.

Motherwell had come from two down to draw in Paisley on Saturday but their comeback attempts ended when Stephen Craigan netted an 80th-minute own goal.

St Mirren have now knocked Well out of a cup competition three times in five seasons and the defeat was Jim Gannon's first domestic loss on the road since taking over at Fir Park.

Gannon switched to a 3-4-3 formation with Shaun Hutchinson in for Ross Forbes as he looked for an improvement on the performance which needed a late Lukas Jutkiewicz double to rescue a point on Saturday.

His side made a positive start and Jim O'Brien saw a powerful 25-yard strike parried wide by Paul Gallacher.

But the visitors soon fell into the bad habits that hampered them at the weekend by conceding possession inside their own half.

Andy Dorman could not get enough power in his 20-yard strike after Hutchinson's throw had put Tom Hateley in trouble and John Ruddy's deflected clearance fell kindly for Well after Billy Mehmet had closed the goalkeeper down.

Motherwell again struggled to cope with Dorman's runs and one ultimately led to the opener.

Yassin Moutaouakil bundled over Dorman after being caught the wrong side and the midfielder's inswinging free-kick found Higdon 12 yards out.

Ruddy dived to get a hand to the header but the ball spun over the line as Higdon, who had come in for Tom Brighton after he ruptured a cruciate ligament during Saturday's 3-3 draw, celebrated his second goal in this season's competition.

Gallacher dived to hold Jamie Murphy's low strike from 20 yards as Motherwell tried to hit back immediately, but they struggled to break through an organised St Mirren side and the hosts continued to look dangerous on the break.

Gannon switched to a 4-4-2 at half-time, just as he had done when Motherwell trailed 1-0 on Saturday, with Bob McHugh and Chris Humphrey replacing Moutaouakil and Murphy.

Jutkiewicz had a great chance in the 54th minute when Hutchinson's long ball sent him clear but Gallacher came off his line to divert the striker's effort wide with his body.

Allan Johnston, making his first St Mirren start, headed wide under pressure from Mehmet's cross and the former Kilmarnock midfielder soon set up St Mirren's second in the 61st minute.

As Saints pinned Well back, Johnston laid the ball off for overlapping right-back Ross, whose drive took a deflection to fly inside Ruddy's near post.

Motherwell, roared on by a full away stand, stepped up their efforts and Coke had a shot deflected wide by John Potter after O'Brien fed his run into the box.

But the tie was put beyond Motherwell when Craigan turned into his own net after Dorman, now playing on the right, swept past Mark Reynolds and cut the ball across the face of goal.

Buddies' boss hails Higdon

St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson hailed Michael Higdon after the striker defied illness to put the Buddies on their way to the Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-finals.

''He was touch and go whether he was playing because he had sickness and diarrhoea,'' MacPherson said. ''He phoned about half past four to say he was struggling but we knew how crucial he would be. We are still a wee bit short in the striker department and it's credit to him that he has got that much of a shift into the game.

''He was drained, he wanted to come off after the second goal but he was vital to us, not just in the striker department, but defending set-pieces.''

MacPherson added: ''Special mention to Tom Brighton as well. The players are going to dedicate that to him because of the severity of his injury. Our thoughts are with him.''

A deflected Jack Ross strike and a Stephen Craigan own goal took St Mirren's tally to 11 goals in four games, all of which were won apart from their Premier League draw against Well.

''It's the hardest part of the game,'' MacPherson said. ''In the last couple of years we have struggled in that department. ''Last year we were creating a lot of chances but didn't take them. ''That's vital and the players are playing with a lot of confidence just now.''

The defeat was only Motherwell's second of the domestic season and Jim Gannon refused to be too critical of his young players.

''St Mirren were stronger in most departments,'' Gannon said. ''As they got the goals, they grew in confidence. They played really well. I'm not going to be too hard on the lads, they have come a long way in the last three or four months. It was just a bad night at the office. All credit to St Mirren, they deserve to be in the hat and good luck to them in the next round.''