First Division St Johnstone surged through to the Tennent's Scottish Cup quarter-finals with a comprehensive away win over Falkirk.

Goals by Martin Hardie and Kevin James, both following Paul Sheerin corners, gave the Perth side a well-deserved half-time lead over the lacklustre Bairns.

A Peter MacDonald strike after the break sealed the victory for the Saints who, after a shaky start, were more than a match for their Bank of Scotland Premier League opponents.

Former Falkirk defender James provided the story of the first half. Or rather, why the beanpole stopper was allowed free headers which led to both the Saints goals, was the story of the first half.

Falkirk had dominated the early stages. Russell Latapy fired in the first shot on goal after three minutes, the veteran midfielder's right-footed drive from 12 yards deflecting off Goran Stanic for a corner.

Three minutes later, as the Saints players struggled to shake themselves out of their early lethargy, Alan Gow played a neat one-two with Latapy, receiving the return pass 12 yards out but the 24-year-old slid his angled shot wide of the far post.

However, the Perth side stormed back with decent efforts from MacDonald, Derek McInnes and Hardie.

And in the 27th minute it was the First Division side who drew first blood, with James the protagonist.

Sheerin's corner from the right was headed towards goal by the tall defender, unmarked as he rose 10 yards from goal.

The ball took a deflection off Bairns defender Kenny Milne but the change in direction only left Hardie the easy task of nodding over the line from around a yard out.

The confidence seemed to drain out of the SPL side, their early organisation lost to a more erratic style which was leaving them exposed at the back.

And their cup hopes were further dashed in the 38th minute when they went two goals behind.

In what was almost a carbon copy of the opener, Sheerin's corner from the right was met by the unmarked James but this time his header from eight yards flew straight into the net.

From an encouraging start, the Falkirk fans were booed off at half-time by their shellshocked fans.

Indeed, the home players were booed back onto the pitch before the start of the second half by a section of their supporters as it emerged that skipper Jack Ross had been replaced by Dean Holden.

It soon became clear that the visitors were in no mood to merely defend their lead.

A brief spell of pressure, in which Kasper Schmeichel blocked an angled shot from Sheerin, ended only when James headed over the bar from 16 yards out.

In the 51st minute, with the Falkirk defence all over the place, MacDonald had another half chance but failed to get hold of his shot from 16 yards, allowing the Bairns' over-worked goalkeeper to save down at his right-hand post.

James almost scored the Saints' third following another Sheerin corner, this time from the left.

The big St Johnstone defender's header was blocked, but he struck the loose ball from close range which was brilliantly saved by Schmeichel, who then put James' second effort from the rebound over the bar.

In the 69th minute the visitors put the tie beyond doubt with yet another goal which threw up questions about the Bairns' defensive capabilities.

An Andy Lawrie free-kick from deep was headed on all too easily by Hardie to MacDonald who ran clear of the Falkirk rearguard before slamming an angled drive past Schmeichel.

Falkirk peppered the Saints goal in the closing stages, Cuthbert's save from Holden being particularly impressive, but by then the damage was done.

And after exiting two cup tournaments in four days, Hughes' men need to address their defensive frailties before their SPL campaign resumes or a relegation battle with bottom club Dunfermline may ensue.

Teams:

Falkirk Schmeichel, Ross (Holden 45), Twaddle, Barr, Milne,Latapy, Cregg, Thomson, O'Donnell (Moutinho 64), Gow, Finnigan.

Subs Not Used: Lambers, Lima, Craig.

Booked: O'Donnell, Cregg, Finnigan.

St Johnstone Cuthbert, Lawrie, Stanic (Dyer 68), James,Anderson, Mensing, Hardie, McInnes, Sheerin,Scotland (McLaren 88), MacDonald (Jackson 90).

Subs Not Used: Halliwell, Morais.

Booked: McInnes, Anderson.

Goals: Hardie 27, James 38, MacDonald 69.

Att: 3,908

Ref: D McDonald (Scotland).