Dan's Hampden pals showdown

Friendships will be put aside in quest for cup glory

- COLIN PATERSON

It will be friends reunited at Hampden this evening for strike star Dan Nlundulu.

The St Mirren forward is best pals with Motherwell midfielder Callum Slattery and was teammates with ex-West Ham United kid Emmanuel Longelo last season when the pair were at Cambridge United in Sky Bet League One.

However, there will be no love lost tonight as the Buddies and the Steelmen fight it out for a place in the final of the Premier Sports Cup.

And inform Nlundulu - who has scored two goals in as many games including a wonder overhead kick against Hearts on Wednesday nightknows that’s the name of the game until full-time.

The 26-year-old said: “I know Callum. I was with him at Southampton for a number of years. He's literally probably one of my best friends.

“We're friends but, on the pitch, the way we are, I think we'll be enemies.

“We will be enemies but, off the pitch, he's my brother, man.

“We hardly talk about football because we know how overwhelming it is sometimes. You have bad days, sometimes you have good days”

On his friendship with Longelo - who has earned rave reviews at Fir Park so far this season - he said: “We've met up a few times here. We still speak right now. He's one of my good mates.

“He's started really well and that's what I mean with football.

“He wasn’t really playing at Cambridge but comes here, starts well.

COLIN PATERSON

Brian Kerr has experienced losing a Hampden semifinal with Motherwell—now he wants to savour victory over the Steelmen in one tonight.

The St Mirren assistant manager patrolled the midfield for the North Lanarkshire outfit for three seasons between 2004 and 2007.