Saints boss Derek McInnes believes they can win the Scottish Cup after his side overcame a resilient Brechin 1-0 in their quarter final replay on Sunday.

Colin Samuel’s powerful strike fired St Johnstone past the second division club in an absorbing match, and now McInnes is dreaming of his side’s football boots crossing the white line in the final at Hampden Park.

“Right from the outset I had a real belief,” said the Saints boss after the win.

“Maybe that’s me dreaming, but I believe in the players and I believe we can be successful. We need to step it up and go in to the semi-final in good shape and we look forward to it.” He added.

Brechin proved to be formidable opponents for the Saints, regularly testing keeper Peter Enckelman in an entertaining game, but it was the SPL side that eventually pulled through, and will now face the winners of the replay between Dundee United or Motherwell in the semi-final of the competition.

The Perth based outfit were on the front foot from the off as they looked to navigate their way through to the final of the Scottish Cup for the first time in their history, and Samuel’s first half strike was enough to keep his side in with a chance of picking up silverware this season.

The club have a chequered history in the competition, reaching the semi-final stage in each of the last four years, but McInnes believes this year could be the year they go all the way.

“I think we have to believe,” he said. “In the cup game at Tynecastle, Hearts were flying and no-one outside our dressing-room gave us a chance and it was a big result for us.

“I thought, if the draw was kind to us, it could be our year. I know we can’t win the league, but we can win a cup. I firmly believe that.

“I have lost two semi-finals here as a player and two as a manager and all of them to the eventual winners. But we are in a semi-final again, 90 minutes away from making the next step.”

They will have to do it without Peter MacDonald however. The striker will be forced to sit out the semi-final game after picking up a booking for a foul on Gerry McLauchlan, a decision McInnes described as “very harsh”.