St Mirren exited the Viaplay Cup at the Quarter-Final stage after a 4-2 defeat to Hibernian at Easter Road.
Scott Tanser and Keanu Baccus both scored terrific efforts for Saints, but it wasn't enough to see us book a place at Hampden in the last four of the competition.
Caolan Boyd-Munce - whose goal against Motherwell in the last round saw Saints progress - came into the starting eleven along with Mikael Mandron as the pair replaced Keanu Baccus and Conor McMenamin in the only changes from the win against Hearts on Saturday.
The two sides were still feeling the game out in the opening stages, though it was Saints who created the best opportunities in the opening 45 with two half-chances coming in the first 15 minutes, both of which fell to Greg Kiltie. The midfielder first headed an effort at David Marshall before cutting in on his left foot and curling well over a few minutes later.
Toyosi Olusanya - who scored at Easter Road last month - came close to grabbing the opener for the Buddies on 32 minutes. The forward got himself on the end of a ball over the top and lifted it over Marshall but it went just wide of the target.
Saints took the lead two minutes before the interval when Tanser slammed home a half-volley to score his second goal in three games. It was a brilliant hit from the Saints left-wing back who was on the end of Mandron's nod down to smash beyond Marshall and put us ahead just before the break.
Saints players celebrate Scott Tanser's opening goal at Easter Road (Image: Craig Brown)
The hosts fired back in the early part of the second-half, scoring two goals in two minutes to take the lead. Elie Youan levelled the game on 52 minutes when he knocked home after getting being quickest to react to Will Fish's header with suggestions it may have unfortunately come off Ryan Strain. And the Hibees would go in-front less than two minutes later when Dylan Vente found time and space in the Saints box to turn and finish beyond Zach Hemming. It was a bitter blow for the Buddies after taking a deserved lead in at half-time.
Saints made a triple substitution a few minutes after the hour mark when he introduced Baccus, McMenamin and Alex Greive in place of Boyd-Munce, Mandron and Kiltie. It would be one of the changes that drew us level with just under 15 minutes remaining when Baccus equalised. The Australian drove forward and it opened up nicely for him to drill into the far corner of the net to make it 2-2.
But the hosts would re-take the lead just four minutes later. Boyle was the fortunate recipient of a ricochet off Gogic which allowed the Hibs forward to knock home with an effort that went in off the bar. Boyle had a chance to wrap the game up on 87 minutes, but Hemming made a brilliant save to keep it at three. The Hibees forward would, however, seal his side's place at Hampden in injury-time as he raced clear again and made no mistake to make it 4-2.
Full-Time: Hibernian 4-2 St Mirren
St Mirren: Hemming, Fraser, Gogic (Small 82), Taylor, Strain, Kiltie (Greive 64), Boyd-Munce (Baccus 64), O'Hara (c), Tanser, Olusanya (Nahmani 82), Mandron (McMenamin 64)
Subs Not Used: Urminsky, Bolton, Dunne, Small, Flynn
Hibernian: Marshall, Miller, Fish, Bushiri (Hanlon 74), Obita, Boyle (Delferrière 90), Jeggo, Newell, Youan (Whittaker 75), Vente (Campbell 75), Doidge (LeFondre 56)
Subs Not Used: Boruc, Stevenson, Levitt, Tavares
Referee: David Munro
Assistant Referee: Ross Macleod
Assistant Referee: Gordon Crawford
Fourth Official: Colin Steven
Attendance: 9,982
