BEATING Celtic 4-0 was the best hangover cure Lee Mair has ever had.
The former St Mirren defender was still feeling the effects of a heavy drinking session, when he was part of the Buddies team that got Tony Mowbray the sack a dozen years ago.
Saints had lost the League Cup final to NINE-MAN Rangers at Hampden in 2010, before facing the other half of the Old Firm in the Premier League just a few days later.
Mair recalled: “When we played Celtic that night, we were still absolutely devastated from losing the cup final.
“On top of that we were all still hungover.
“It was just madness, the whole thing.
“On the Sunday, we lost to Rangers with nine men at Hampden, in the worst defeat of our careers.
“I’ve never felt so gutted after a game of football.
“There was a function arranged by the club, but most of the lads ended up in Glasgow with our wives and girlfriends — and we got absolutely smashed!
“It was actually my wife’s birthday that day and everyone just got together in a Glasgow nightclub to drown our sorrows.
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“The Celtic game was on the Wednesday night and I still felt rough.
“I know there were St Mirren supporters who didn’t go to the Celtic game as they were still so disappointed by the cup final defeat.
“To be honest I didn’t feel like going to the game either!
Mentally we were lower than a snake’s belly. But it just shows you how football works sometimes because we got one of the club’s biggest wins ever against Celtic.
“After the final whistle I don’t think we really knew what to do.
“It didn’t really feel right to celebrate, given we had lost the cup final to nine men just a few days earlier. It was just a crazy result.”
Mair went toe-to-toe with Hoops loan star Robbie Keane that night, and put the shackles on the Republic of Ireland legend.
Midfielders Andy Dorman and Steven Thomson both grabbed doubles for Saints. Mair added: “Keane was playing for Celtic, and I remember he had an early chance to score to give them the lead, but Paul Gallacher saved his shot.
“Incredibly, we went on to score four goals and keep a clean sheet.
“It turned out to be Tony Mowbray’s last game as manager because he got sacked the next day.
“I remember they had a young 19-year-old lad at centre-half, Josh Thompson, who ended up in the lower leagues in England. I’ll never forget how Aidan McGeady — one of the most skilful and attack-minded players in Scotland at that time — ended up at left-back.
“It was an absolute shambles for Celtic, but a great night for everyone involved at Saints.”
Mair would love to see the Buddies get a repeat result in Paisley tomorrow, but he can’t see it.
He said: “As a St Mirren supporter now, having spent five years at the club, I fear that it could easily be a reverse result.
“Celtic are on a different level right now and blowing teams away. It will be interesting to see how the game goes, but I do worry that it could be a tough one for my old club.
“Celtic could not be further from where they were that night against us.”
Dorman, who won three caps for Wales, opened the scoring in the first half back in 2010.
Thomson added a second goal after the interval before a late one-two from the pair sealed an astonishing win for the Buddies.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
