St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari insists his team will dare to dream after beating Livingston to set up a Scottish Cup semi-final showdown with Celtic.
Graham Carey’s stunning second-half effort was the difference but Saints had to ride their luck after Livingston wasted a series of good chances in a dominant first-half display.
The last-four draw took place immediately after the televised clash in West Lothian and Valakari admits Saints – cup winners in 2014 and 2021 – could not have asked for a harder tie.
Valakari said: “We can dare to dream, it’s all about the cup – dreaming.
“As Barry Douglas said to our players after the game, you can play a long career and never play a semi-final at the national stadium – so it’s a beautiful day.
“We get the toughest opponent of all but we will go and enjoy it.
“It’s in the history of our club and everyone knows it and we want to write our name into history now. We will enjoy this and now we’re back to the Premiership.”
Valakari conceded his team could not get to grips with Livingston after spending the opening 45 minutes on the ropes.
He said: “Big credit to Livingston, I had been watching Livingston a lot and I’ve not really seen them play this formation.
“It was very difficult for us to get into the rhythm of the game and when we got the ball our quality was not good enough.
“But we need some magic and heroics and Andrew Fisher in the first half kept us in the game. At half-time we calmed down everyone and changed it a bit.
“Second half it was easier and we needed a hero and some magic and Graham Carey gave us that.
“We showed maybe the other side of us, it was not easy to play and credit to our opponent but we showed this togetherness and determination to get through this difficult spell.”
Lions boss David Martindale was left lamenting his team’s failure to take their chances in the first half and revealed referee Don Robertson held his hands up for not awarding the hosts a penalty.
Midfielder Andrew Shinnie appeared to be struck by defender Daniels Balodis’ flailing arm in the box in the first half.
He said: “I think the referee has seen it back and said it was a penalty. He’s not got the hindsight of VAR. I’m alright with that.
“If he’d seen it he would have given it. The disappointing part for me, and I’m not berating the officials, but we’ve seen that in real time from the bench.
“So the linesman has to see that in real time. I think it’s a stone-waller. It was pretty blatant.
“They’ve missed it, but within the game we had more than enough chances to win the game. It’s poor execution from us.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
