Callum Davidson saluted St Johnstone’s fans for driving their heroes into the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.
Holders Saints made it 14 successive cup tie wins after a dramatic penalty shoot-out success at Arbroath.
That magical run stretches back to March 2020 to a 1-0 Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat against Celtic.
That day a late Ryan Christie strike earned the Glasgow side a hard-fought win.
Saints were made to work for the victory – after twice coming back from a goal down to Arbroath.
But Ali McCann’s shoot-out penalty sent the visiting fans home happy.
The Perth side will now travel to Austria for their Europa Conference League clash with LASK.
They face a trip to Dundee in the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup.
And Davidson was quick to point out the role the fans played in the Arbroath win.
🎥| “It wasn’t good, it wasn’t pretty but we are through”
Hear what Callum had to say after a tough test at Gayfield. #SJFC pic.twitter.com/DsuaXnrB7M
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) August 15, 2021
“We are through and I’m absolutely delighted,” Davidson told Saints TV.
“I’d like to thank all the fans for coming through. There was an unbelievable turnout from St Johnstone fans and a big thanks to them.
“They probably helped us and don’t realise that.
“Their support and energy transfers onto the pitch and I have to thank them for that.
Davidson: St Johnstone found way to win at Arbroath
“You have to credit Arbroath for the energy levels. They came back at us.
“We knew it was going to be a difficult tie and I was always worried about the knock-on effects from Thursday.
“You see how difficult it is to play in big European nights and then when it comes to domestic football a lot of teams with bigger squads struggle.
“We made a lot of mistakes but I said to them at half-time was ‘find a way to win, find a way to get to the next round.’
“Ultimately they did that. It wasn’t good, it wasn’t pretty but we are through.”
McCann is spot-kick hero
Arbroath missed three penalties in the shoot-out with Ricky Little, Dale Hilson and Bobby Linn all failing to hit the target.
But Callum Booth’s spot-kick was saved by Derek Gaston and Jason Kerr screwed his effort wide before McCann slammed home the winner.
The cup holders @StJohnstone survive as Ali McCann nets the winning penalty v @ArbroathFC pic.twitter.com/NOMZlBxf2T
— Ewan Smith (@ewansmithpr) August 15, 2021
“We didn’t make the penalties easy either,” added Davidson. “They gifted us a few early and we gave them back.
“That’s football. Anyone could go through on penalties and I wouldn’t be complaining if Arbroath had gone through.
“They played really well but I’ll give my boys credit for the fight and character they showed to get through to the quarter-finals.”
