The draw for the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup has produced a series of intriguing and uneven matchups. St Mirren will travel to face Rangers, 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 St Mirren squad failed to secure a place in the seeded group. Although they finished top of their group on goal difference, a defeat to Dunfermline Athletic on Sunday prevented them from being seeded. This meant they missed out on the opportunity to avoid the strongest opponents in the draw.
St Mirren’s manager, Craig McLeish, stated that the draw had not been kind to his side. The fact that they missed out on being seeded has further complicated the situation, given that they had the chance to win their group and thereby secure a more favourable fixture list. The trip to face Rangers in the last 16 represents a significant challenge for a side that has progressed through the group stage.
In the other notable tie, Dunfermline Athletic, a side from the second tier, will host Ross County from League 1. Dunfermline 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 final moments, deciding the outcome of the fixture. This victory was decisive for Dunfermline’s advancement in the competition.
