St Johnstone produced a stirring comeback against Morton at Cappielow to secure their place in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
Saints dominated the first-half against the Championship side but went behind to a sucker-punch goal at the start of the second 45.
However, they picked themselves up off the canvas to net two quick-fire counters through Steven MacLean from the penalty spot and then the second by Michael O’Halloran with Saints Premiership class ultimately telling in the end with Chris Kane netting a third.
St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright made two changes from the side that beat Inverness in the Highlands on Saturday with Brian Easton replacing Darnell Fisher and Liam Craig coming in for skipper Dave Mackay who was suspended after his red card against Caley.
Morton manager Jim Duffy’s men approached the game with confidence high following their league win over Alloa at the weekend but there was no place in their starting line-up for former Saints favourite Peter MacDonald who is currently injured.
St Johnstone made a high-tempo start and came agonisingly close to opening the scoring in just the seventh minute. Craig swung a corner in from the right with Graham Cummins heading the ball off the underside of Morton goalie Derek Gaston’s crossbar.
The home side had an opportunity of their own shortly after when Ross Forbes hit a low long-range shot that whizzed just past Alan Mannus’s left-hand post.
Saints then had a half-chance of their own when Craig latched onto a knock-down from Cummins in the Morton box but he scuffed his shot and the danger passed.
Craig was the provider in the 18th minute from another corner with a Joe Shaughnessy effort hitting the outside of the post. Saints continued to turn the screw with Steven Anderson having a flicked shot saved on the line by Gaston and then Cummins shot just wide from close range.
Morton were also looking lively and Tam Scobbie had to make a superb block as Denny Johnstone pulled the trigger inside the Saints penalty area.
However, St Johnstone continued to look dangerous, especially at setpieces with the home side struggling to clear their lines.
Wright’s side had another great opportunity to open the scoring in the 39th minute when O’Halloran crossed from the right for MacLean but the striker could not get enough purchase on his shot and the chance went abegging.
Saints continued to press and Craig sent a 22-yard shot just over Gaston’s bar.
Morton though had a chance of their own just before half-time when Forbes sent a free-kick into the Saints box with Luca Gasparotto flashing a header just wide of Mannus’s right post.
As the two teams headed down the tunnel at the interval, the only surprise was that this entertaining cup tie had yet to produce a goal,
The second half was just seconds old when O’Halloran embarked on a scorching run down the right past four defenders before hitting a cut-back to Cummins whose close-range shot was superbly blocked by Lee Kilday.
However, Saints were stunned in the 52nd minute when they conceded the opening goal after Conor Pepper sent a cut-back in from the home right towards Denny Johnstone who made no mistake sweeping the ball home past the helpless Mannus from eight yards.
Wright would have been looking for a quick response and he got it just nine minutes later. Lappin sent another corner in from the right with the ball being needlessly handled by Forbes with referee Craig Thomson pointing to the spot. MacLean stepped up to emphatically drill the penalty past Gaston to bring the sides level.
Saints then scored a quickfire second in the 64th minute when O’Halloran burst into the Morton box and fired a crisp angled shot into the far corner of Gaston’s net.
Wright’s side then put a gloss on the scoreline with a lightning counter-attacking third with O’Halloran breaking from inside his own half before playing in sub Kane who made no mistake shooting high past Gaston from 14 yards to ensure it would be Saints going through to the semi-finals of the League Cup.
Attendance 2,433.
Morton Gaston, Kilday, O’Ware, Miller, Forbes (Orr, 85), Johnstone, McCluskey, Pepper (Scullion, 80), Barr (Tidser, 80), Russell, Gasparotto.
Subs not used Adam, McKee, Stevenson.
St Johnstone Mannus, Scobbie, Lappin, Anderson, Davidson, MacLean, Shaughnessy, Cummins (Kane, 75), Easton, Craig, O’Halloran (Wotherspoon, 87).
Subs not used Clark, Sutton, McKay, Caddis, Fisher.
Referee Craig Thomson.