Holders St Mirren are staring down a brutal road in the Premier Sports Cup last 16, drawn away to Rangers after completely blowing their chance at a crucial seeded spot. This isn’t just a tough draw; it’s a direct consequence of a late Chris Kane penalty that sealed a win for Dunfermline Athletic and sent St Mirren spinning.
McLeish Is Fuming Over Missed Opportunity
That last-gasp stunner meant Dunfermline progressed as one of the best runners-up, booting Queen’s Park out, while St Mirren, despite still topping their group on goal difference, got absolutely burned in the seeding. Manager Craig McLeish isn’t holding back either. He’s “disappointed” big time, saying they had a “chance to win our group and be one of the seeded sides” but “the draw has not been good to us.” He even pointed to a denied goal but ultimately, knows “we only have ourselves to blame unfortunately.” Talk about a gut punch.
Dunfermline’s Delight and Other Key Battles
Meanwhile, Dunfermline head coach Neil Lennon is feeling a lot better. His squad “played well in the last half hour and deserved our victory,” he said, thrilled with a home tie. They’ll face League 1 side Ross County, who he noted have been “phenomenal this season” despite a “hugely disappointing relegation.” Elsewhere in the last 16, we’ve got Scottish champions Celtic, who were last season’s beaten finalists, heading to Dundee United, while Aberdeen hosts Dundee in another top-flight showdown. Kilmarnock and Ayr United are set for an Ayrshire derby.
The second round ties are all set to kick off on the weekend of August 15/16. Get ready, because St Mirren has a real mountain to climb if they want to defend their title after that draw!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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