Robinson out for revenge at Hampden as Buddies boss appears to be like to place an finish sickening sequence of Celtic defeats
- St Mirren take on Celtic in tomorrow’s Premier Sports Cup Final, where they will hope to lift the trophy for the first time since 2013
- The Paisley side have lost their last three matches against the holders in heartbreaking fashion
- The manager has urged his players to make sure they enjoy the occasion but leave the field with no regrets
- Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport
Stephen Robinson insists St Mirren can pull off a League Cup final shock — after pushing Celtic close the last three times the teams have met.
The Saints boss has pored over a highlights reel with his players this week. They were stung when James Forrest salvaged a 94th-minute point for Brendan Rodgers’ champions at Parkhead in May.
The Paisley side returned on the opening weekend in August, only to be undone by Luke McCowan’s 87th-minute winner.
And Robinson’s men then suffered a 95th-minute sickener from Callum McGregor in a home clash last month.
That tells the Northern Irishman they are close to cracking the code. He said: ‘Every clip we’ve shown this week has been us v Celtic. It’s not been Celtic v Roma, Celtic v Kilmarnock, Celtic v whoever. It’s Celtic v us.
‘We’ve shown all the good things, how competitive we’ve been. We’ve been behind for three minutes in total in the three games. And we’ve shown that you have to have that belief.
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson is determined to get one over on Celtic this weekend
Callum McGregor netted a stoppage-time winner the last time the sides met in Paisley
The Saints booked their place in the final with a dramatic victory over Motherwell in the semis
‘If we play like that and earn that right again, then the end product is what we’re missing. Can we find that on the day? I believe we can.’
Robinson, who will make a late call on captain Mark O’Hara’s fitness, urged his players to leave Hampden with no regrets. The 51-year-old admits forever being bothered by his Wembley no-show with Bournemouth.
Robinson never got the chance, as a player, to atone for a 1998 Auto Windscreens Shield defeat to Grimsby. ‘There were 63,000 at the old Wembley, which was incredible,’ he recalled.
‘I was a shadow of myself as a player that day. The occasion got the better of me.
‘I didn’t show the best version of myself. You always think you can show that again, that you get another opportunity.
‘At 23, I thought there would be another 10. But that never arose for me as a player.
‘So I want them to embrace this day. You have to enjoy it. The only way you do that is give a version that doesn’t play with fear, that doesn’t fear making a mistake, that plays with positivity.
‘The last thing I’ll say to them is: Do not have a regret. If you have another 100 yards to run, then run it. If you’ve got another sprint in you, sprint.
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Robinson will make a late fitness call on captain Mark O’Hara, who is nursing a foot injury
‘If you’ve a chance to have another shot on target, have it. And if you have the last defending tackle, do it. Or win that header.
‘Do whatever it takes as an individual, then the collective will carry that individual.’
Saints started their tournament journey losing a group-stage bonus point to Arbroath on penalties on July 12.
‘We’ve had a tough ride to get here,’ Robinson added. ‘We beat Hearts, Kilmarnock then a brilliant Motherwell team at Hampden.
‘So we’ve deserved our spot in the final. But Celtic are a top side, so let’s get that right.
‘Celtic should win the cup. And they should win it comfortably with the players they have.’
