St Johnstone crash out as Dundee Utd squeeze through – League Cup round-up
St Johnstone were knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup after East Fife’s late equaliser, while Dundee United progressed when Montrose lost to Spartans. The results settled several group places, with Aberdeen, Ayr United, Kilmarnock, Ross County, Stenhousemuir and Inverness Caledonian Thistle advancing as group winners, alongside Dundee and Partick Thistle as leading runners-up.
Montrose needed only a draw but lost 2-0 at home to Spartans, allowing Dundee United through, while St Johnstone finished third in their group behind Caley Thistle and East Fife. Ross County beat Airdrieonians 3-0, Dundee defeated Clyde 4-0, and Stenhousemuir won their group via a penalty shoot-out against Livingston after a goalless draw. The final group winner and best runner-up will be decided on Sunday, with St Mirren and Dunfermline Athletic contesting Group C.
- St Johnstone are out after East Fife’s late equaliser.
- Dundee United progress as Montrose lose to Spartans.
- Several group places remain undecided until Sunday.
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The Premier Sports Cup is Scotland's main domestic cup tournament, contested by clubs from across the country. The competition is organised into groups where teams play multiple matches against each other, with the top clubs from each group advancing to the knockout stages. This means progression depends on accumulated performance over several matches rather than winning a single knockout tie.
Teams earn points based on their results and must finish high enough in their group to qualify for the next round. The recent matches have now settled several groups, meaning some teams have officially qualified for the knockout phase whilst others have been eliminated from the competition. Which teams progress from each group will determine the knockout stage draw.
The remaining groups will be completed over the coming days, after which the knockout matches will begin. At that stage, teams will compete in single-elimination matches where a single defeat means elimination from the trophy race. This format ensures that group stage performances provide genuine reward through progression to the later rounds.