Super Carey strike see Saints progress at Hamilton.

Saint Mirren made it through to round five of the Scottish Cup thanks to a spectacular strike from Graham Carey at New Douglas Park.

The Accies should have been ahead as early as the 7^th minute, Saints keeper Craig Samson made a hash of a pass back and was immediately put under pressure by Dougie Imrie. The striker won the ball and rolled the ball to Jim McAllister 15 yards out, and with only one man defending the goal line the midfielder struck his shot wide.

Saints had a couple of long range efforts off target in response before taking the lead in the 21^st minute. Accies gave Graham Carey too much space at the edge of the box allowing the Saint to strike a sweet shot low into Cerny’s bottom left hand corner.

The Accies fans were getting agitated at this stage and one was heard to shout to his team’s manager, “We are showing them too much respect Billy (Reid), they aren’t that good.”

The manager did say after the game he had set his side out to frustrate and hit on the break. This plan had a major flaw as Imrie was left all too often on his own up front with no support.

The second half started with both sides have long rang efforts soaring wide, Imrie for the home side and Carey for the visitors. Carey then produced a wonder save from Cerny with a free kick which looked to bending in at the top left hand corner of his net.

Accies made a double sub with 18 minutes left, and this seemed to perk them up. Ali Crawford sent a 25 yard volley straight at the keeper and McLaughlin met an Imrie corner but his header was saved easily.

In the dying minutes Accies almost took the game to extra time when a superb, swerving 35 yard strike from Dougie Imrie hit the post before being swept clear.

This was the last chance of the game and Saints go marching on to a 5^th round tie with Ross County. They just about deserved their win as their play was consistently sharper and quicker than their opponents without hitting the heights of some of their recent SPL performances.