First Division Ayr United produced more cup heroics to set up a Hampden Park double-header with the Old Firm.

Gordon Dalziel's Honest Men already have a CIS Insurance Cup final clash against Rangers to look forward to on March 7.

But they will now return to the national stadium again just six days later to take on Celtic in the Tennent's Scottish Cup semi-final after beating Dundee United at the second attempt.

Scott Crabbe's penalty and Paul Sheerin's wonder strike saw the Ayrshire outfit add the visitors to the previous Premier League scalps of Dunfermline, Hibernian and Kilmarnock.

It was another great achievement for the club, but on the night they proved to want it more than their opponents and dealt with the treacherous weather conditions better.

Ayr veteran Pat McGinlay, who rescued his side a replay, illustrated that desire when he soldiered on despite a nasty head wound received in just the second minute.

Paul Lovering posted an inviting cross into the box six-yard box, but Paul Gallacher came out to punch and caught the Ayr man in the process and John Robertson blazed wide of the post.

But the feeling of disappointment at not scoring among the home crowd was replaced by anxiety immediately after when the former Hibernian and Celtic man stayed down in some pain.

Amazingly though McGinlay, with a stretcher and medical team around him, bravely got back to his feet and rejoined play.

That show of courage seemed to inspire the home side and in the 12th minute the took the lead from the spot.

Sheerin's excellent delivery picked out Lovering in the box, but the ball caught the hand of Tassos Venetis and Crabbe made no mistake to drive the ball home into the bottom corner.

Alex Smith's men struggled to cope with the wind and it took 17 minutes for Charlie Miller to produce their first shot on goal, but he was unable to catch it with the power needed to trouble Ayr goalkeeper Craig Nelson.

Lashing rain soon added to the horrible conditions and with the wind in their faces the visitors were praying for the half-time whistle to come.

McGinlay gave the Somerset Park side another scare on the half-hour when he headed for the dressing room to have some stitches inserted into a nasty-looking head wound, but again he returned.

Their were more anxious moments for the home side as the break approached when the men from Tannadice started to threaten.

First Neil Duffy deflected Venetis' stinging shot wide in the 32nd minute just before Derek Lilley crashed a right-foot shot against the upright from inside the box.

But Ayr came back at them and went agonisingly close to extending their lead five minutes before the break when Lovering blazed a sweet right-foot drive just past the post.

Ayr found dealing with the wind in their faces as difficult as United did after the restart, but they quickly dealt with it.

And they almost increased their lead in the 50th minute with the weather playing a part again.

Lovering's left-wing cross seemed to get caught in the wind and Gallacher failed to claim it, but John Robertson was unable to make the most of it.

Ayr went even closer just two minutes later when Duffy got on the end of Sheerin's free-kick, but his header came back off the base of the post to Dundee United's relief again.

But United responded when Miller tried his luck from long range with a powerful effort which Nelson did well to save.

The visitors committed more men forward in search of an equaliser, but more heroic defending from Ayr proved decisive.

However, the more Dundee United went forward the more the home side looked like scoring another on the break - and so it proved with just nine minutes to go.

Sheerin ran at the visitors' defence before unleashing a fierce left-foot shot past the despairing dive of Gallacher and into the bottom corner of the net.

Kenny Clark's full-time whistled sparked wild celebrations at Somerset Park.

Few will be tipping them to be partying again against Rangers and Celtic later this month - but after these kind of heroics you never know.

Teams

Ayr: Nelson, Hughes, Craig, Duffy (McEwan 57), Robertson, McGinlay, Wilson, Sheerin, Lovering, Crabbe (Kean 77), Grady (Sharp 90).

Subs Not Used: Scally, Dodds.

Goals: Crabbe 12 pen, Sheerin 80.

Dundee Utd: Gallacher, McCunnie, Lauchlan, Griffin, McCracken, Venetis (Carson 53), Miller, Easton, Hannah (Aljofree 80), Lilley (Winters 66), Thompson.

Subs Not Used: McConalogue, Jarvie.

Booked: Venetis, Lilley, Miller.

Att: 4,445

Ref: K Clark (Scotland).