Livingston roared into the Betfred Cup Final as the Lions turned Hampden into their own personal den in their final four clash against St Mirren.

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It gives the West Lothian side a chance to win the trophy for the second time in their history after David Martindale's heroes fought for every inch at the national stadium.

Scott Robinson's eighth-minute opener was enough to see his team through to the February 28 final where they'll meet St Johnstone.

Livingston started on the front foot with Jon Guthrie and Josh Mullin both testing Jak Alnwick with sighters from just outside the box.

And it didn’t take long for them to make their dominance count.

The Lions’ effectiveness from set-pieces is hardly a surprise to anyone. So when St Mirren gave away a needless foul wide on the left, the picture of Efe Ambrose and Jon Guthrie ambling into the box looked ominous.

Josh Mullin’s right-footed delivery was curled deep into the area and Ambrose was in position via Robinson's flick-on. The Nigerian's header crashed off the bar - but it fell straight to the active Robinson who was only too happy to finish the job with just 10 minutes on the clock.

The Buddies carried very little threat in the first half despite having Scotland striker Eamonn Brophy in their ranks, though some Buddies players felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty when Nicky Devlin seemed to make contact with Joe Shaugnessy in the area before clearing the ball.

They struggled hard to make any inroads into the final third but almost found a way through when Jamie McGrath poked the ball into the path of Ethan Erhahon from a sitting position.

The young Saint just needed to get a toe on the ball but Max Stryjek was quickly off his line to hammer clear.

Then in a similar fashion Julien Serrano was closed down by Dylan Connolly, who should have taken the chance on himself rather than attempt an ambitious ball across for Brophy.

Jim Goodwin had one almighty team talk on his hands if he wanted to turn the game around and give himself a chance to win the League Cup for St Mirren as a captain and a manager.

But the second half started with more of the same as Livingston won the ball on halfway through Robinson before feeding the ball left to Mullin.

His cross was perfect to pick out Devlin all alone at the back post but the right-back blazed a glorious chance over the bar on the half-volley.

Seconds later the Buddies had their best chance of the game when Conor McCarthy's goal-bound header from a corner was headed off the line by Craig Sibbald.

And up the other end an abomination of a set-piece delivery somehow nearly gifted Livi a second but Robinson then Marvin Bartley found black and white jerseys blocking their shots from inside the area.

Gallery: Celtic Player Ratings: Livingston (A) (Read Sport)

Referee David Munro had another big decision to make as the game entered its closing stages. Once again it concerned the Livingston box, and once again it went against the Saints.

Substitute Jon Obika turned Serrano with finesse but with options available in the middle opted to go to ground. Munro took a hard look at it before booking the striker for diving instead of awarding a game-changing penalty.

One last corner kick almost forced extra time when McGrath found Shaughnessy at the back post but he could only head wide as Livi saw the game out to march into the final.

3 talking points

Robinson squashes opposition

Robinson was wisely benched by Martindale against Celtic on Wednesday to ensure he was fit and ready for some Hampden heroics.

In 2013, a knee injury sustained just weeks earlier ensured he’d be unable to make the Hearts starting 11 nor the five substitutes for the final of this same competition, against the same opposition.

The intervening eight years have seen him drop all the way down to League One before reinventing himself in West Lothian as a truly unique attacking talent and one of this season’s standout players.

Filling the void of a £2m talisman in Lyndon Dykes is no easy feat but the midfielder-turned-sharpshooter has taken to the role with ease.

His tireless work rate saw him finish off a set-piece routine he started and Robinson didn't give the St Mirren defence a moment's peace throughout the 80 minutes he played, more than holding his own with his hold-up play and in aerial battles despite a size disadvantage.

Martindale's rise continues

By his own admission David Martindale has been getting restless ahead of the SFA's fit and proper person hearing, which is now set for Tuesday after weeks of delays.

The outcome of that process notwithstanding, Martindale now has a chance to win his first major honour as a manager, and Livi's first in 17 years.

In his years as the Lions' director of football and now a matter of months as the man in the dugout, Martindale has built a team capable of going toe-to-toe with any side they fancy.

Sunday's semi-final was at times a war of attrition. A battle when the main weapons to hand for both sides were set-pieces, second balls, guts and determination.

It was a game that suited Martindale's roaring Lions to a T.

He's now been in charge for 11 games, two of which were back-to-back clashes against the Premiership champions, winning nine and losing none of them.

And a new chapter in one of the stories of the season is set to be written at the end of February.

Betfred Match Booking Points

Sore one for Saints

Their fans adorned Paisley with uplifting banners and black and white bunting.

But Goodwin's Saints weren't able to match the punters watching through their fingers at home as they came up second-best.

Talents like Jamie McGrath and Dylan Connolly, so impressive against Rangers in the previous round, struggled to make an impression on the game.

Bookies Booking Points

When the Irish gaffer sank to his knees in the 78th minute after McAllister spurned a great chance to pick out Obika in the middle, you got the sense that legendary League Cup double - one that apparently would warrant a statue outside the SMISA Stadium - just wasn't to be.