ST MIRREN put the future on show and it worked. Because of their youth, some of the squad were playing for next century.

Captained by 19-year-old Hugh Murray, their ages fell to the school exam level of Burton O'Brien at 16.

Tony Fitzpatrick, the manager, from a scrap of paper recited their names like a poem - McNamee, Kerr, McGarry, Milne, Prentice, Rudden, all in their teens. ''That is a possible cup- winning team,'' he said.

When bookshops are filled with their glossy biographies, ancient persons in chimney corners will babble about the sunny afternoon in May when they came together and pipped the season's champions.

Dundee suffered another whimpering end to their winning year. They fielded a fringe team who soon became unraveled. Only their supporters seemed to want the game not to end. They began by singing and shouting well, although their excitement seldom coincided with any action on the park.

An internal debate at the interval led to two of them being huckled away. Some of those who remained enjoyed a second half of robust discussion with the constabulary.

St Mirren's picnic of a match was most enjoyed by Chris Kerr, a left back of pace and power with the confidence to overlap on the edge of the touchline. Often he made the time to look up, waiting and seeing how best to make a pass. David Milne was the midfield maestro.

Paul Rudden and O'Brien came off the bench as if it was just another Saturday for them. Alan Prentice shaped the cross that led to the goal.

It took the mature boot of Tom Brown, who is aged enough at 30 to be called Mr Brown, to put the ball in.

He was right on station at the far post when Prentice found him. Any chance of seeing again some of the new-age Saints heightens interest in tomorrow night's meeting with Morton at Cappielow in the final of the Renfrewshire Cup, which was not the one Tony Fitzpatrick dreamed about.

St Mirren ........... 1

Dundee ............... 0