He was not long on the pitch and wasn’t even sure if he had touched the ball yet.
But suddenly Jim Morton was presented with the opportunity to secure St Johnstone a rare Scottish League Cup win against Celtic.
It was 1981 and a midweek fixture at Muirton Park where young striker Ally McCoist already had the Perth side one to the good. Little under 10 minutes remained when Saints were then awarded a penalty.
“I remember John Brogan and Ally McCoist were fighting for the ball,” laughed Morton, reminiscing back.
“I think I came on quite late, about 70 minutes for Stuart Beedie who got injured and I don’t think I had kicked the ball. Then we got the penalty. I thought: ‘I’m going to be taking this’.
“McCoist had said he was taking it, but Brogan told him that I was the penalty taker. The next minute George Fleming had the ball!
“He came up to me and said to go and play keepie-uppie over at the side of the pitch by the St Johnstone fans as Celtic were still complaining to the referee.
“Eventually it settled down and I sent Pat Bonner the wrong way. That was it. Wow, we can beat them here. We ran the game out well and I’ve still got the picture of the goal. It is a vivid game for me.
“It was a brilliant occasion. There was a crowd of about 10,000 at Muirton Park and it was one of the best atmospheres.”
Morton recalls that the Perth part-timers’ victory in the cup’s mini-league section was made possible thanks to sheer belief and having confidence in your own ability.
And the former midfielder’s message to the current group of players would be to have that same mindset this weekend. Saints, the current holders of the trophy, return to Hampden on Saturday evening for a huge League Cup semi-final clash with Celtic.
“To beat Celtic at any time, whether home or away, is hard,” Morton told the PA. “This weekend is a real difficult one for Saints.
“But you need belief. If you don’t have belief, you are never going to win. First and foremost Saints will need belief and confidence in their ability.
“You need at least nine of your players to come up with a top performance against your opposing player. You can’t be dominated.
“The fans will get behind Celtic and that drives them, giving an extra 10 per cent to the players. Celtic’s players will be driven - but you need to match that.
“The players we had in that 1981 game were all confident. Even though we were part-time, we had good players and a good system. We were a unit and everyone knew what their job was.”
Saints winning the cup double last season was special viewing for Morton, who agrees that this club from the Fair City can never be underestimated.
“It was unbelievable and they would be so proud,” he said of the trophy triumphs. “You couldn’t make it up, winning the two cups.
“You go to bed, wake up and think: ‘Did that really happen?’ They might not realise the achievement now but in 10 years or so they will.”
Morton, with a smile, added: “A lot of people at my local golf club know I played and keep talking about St Johnstone - the cup double winners.
“If they can win this weekend... that would just be a magnificent achievement.”
