The draw for the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup has produced a number of intriguing and uneven matchups. St Mirren will travel to face Rangers in the quarter-finals, while Celtic will travel to face Dundee United. Aberdeen will host Dundee, and Kilmarnock will host Ayr United in a local derby. Dunfermline Athletic will play at home against Ross County.
St Mirren won the trophy last season after defeating Celtic, who were the runners-up. However, the current squad of St Mirren has not secured a place in the seeded group. Although they finished top in their group on goal difference, a defeat to Dunfermline Athletic on the road on Sunday prevented them from being seeded. This meant they missed the opportunity to win their group and thereby avoid the strongest opponents in the draw.
St Mirren's manager, Craig McLeish, stated that the draw was not favourable to his side. The fact that they failed to be seeded has further complicated the situation, given that they had the opportunity to win in the group stage and thereby secure a more favourable fixture schedule. The trip to face Rangers in the quarter-finals represents a significant challenge for the side that has progressed through the group stage.
In the other notable match of the quarter-finals, Dunfermill Athletic, a side from the second tier, will host Ross County from League 1. Dunfermill had secured a key victory against St Mirren, which secured their place among the top three runners-up. In that match, Chris Kane scored a penalty in the closing stages, deciding the outcome of the game. This victory was decisive for Dunfermill's advancement to the next stage of the competition.
