Premier Sports League Cup: Matchday Five Review
Falkirk and Queen of the South are the only two League One teams remaining in the League Cup after the final day of the Group Stages…
Falkirk edge past league rivals Clyde as they top Group D to reach last 16
A free-kick from Craig McGuffie in the 21st minute proved to be enough as Falkirk progressed to the last 16 as Group D winners with a narrow 1-0 win over Clyde at the Falkirk Stadium.
The prize for John McGlynn’s Bairns is a trip to face Scottish Championship side Dundee at Dens Park. This is the third time the club have progressed out of the Group Stage since its inception and the first as group winners since 2017.
Meanwhile, Clyde, who finished bottom of the group, now look ahead to opening their fourth consecutive season in League One next Saturday against Queen of the South in Dumfriesshire.
Falkirk manager, John McGlynn: “We are delighted to top the group. You’ve always got high expectations, but it’s your ambition and drive that takes you there. We didn’t want to settle for mediocrity, we wanted to push and challenge and over the course of the four games, that’s what the boys have done. It wasn’t a great spectactle today, but we had to battle and fight.”
Clyde manager, Danny Lennon: “I thought it was a very encouraging performance from us today and we showed a lot of energy. I thought we got out the traps very well and didn’t let Falkirk get their own way and I would’ve liked to have seen that for longer periods of the game. Nonetheless, I thought we were comfortable and got a lot of turnovers, however, we gave it away very cheaply at times and that’s something we will work on.”
Old Firm giant lies in wait for Queen’s who go through as third best runner-up
Goals from Kieran McKechnie and Ruari Paton ensured Queen of the South would make the cut as one of the three best runners-up with a 2-0 victory over League Two side Elgin City at Borough Briggs.
McKechnie opened the scoring for the visitors five minutes after the re-start with Paton doubling the advantage four minutes later.
However, progression wasn’t that straightforward as Willie Gibson’s side endured a nervy wait for Sunday’s Group A result against Aberdeen and Raith Rovers before they could be confirmed in the hat for the last 16.
This will be the third time the Dumfries club have progressed as runners-up in the group format and the first since 2018. The League One side have been drawn away to last season’s semi-finalists Rangers at Ibrox, in what will be a potential pick for TV selection.
Queen of the South player-manager, Willie Gibson sums the group campaign as a whole: “Mixed bag really, I think the first game against Annan we let ourselves down, but to go on the run we have done, finishes the group on a high. We are relying on Aberdeen doing us a favour and if we go through, it will be a great bonus and all I asked of my boys today was to come up and get us a result and if scenarios go our way, which they have so far then hopefully we can progress.”
Pars’ progression hopes derailed as Alloa snatch bonus point ahead of league opener
Alloa Athletic gained the bonus point in Group C as Dunfermline Athletic failed to pick up the maximum points needed to progress to the knockout stages.
Chris Hamilton got the breakthrough for the home side in the 20th minute with the Pars’ taking their slender advantage into the interval. However, Conor Sammon pulled the Wasps level on the stroke of the hour which resulted in the match being forced to penalties.
Ross MacIver slotted home the winning spot-kick for the visitors in a 5-4 shootout victory with Joe Chalmers hitting the woodwork for the home side.
This is the first time since the format was introduced in 2016 that the Fife club have failed to qualify out of their group. Meanwhile, Alloa, who finished third and only behind the Pars’ on goal-difference, will face a side seeking revenge next Saturday when they return to East End Park for the opening day of the league season.
Dunfermline Athletic manager, James McPake: “Not good enough, not clinical enough. We had enough clear-cut chances to win the game, but the regular occurrence from our previous games is that we were creating chances but not taking them. To be successful, you have to be ruthless and that’s not just the strikers, that’s across the pitch. We only have ourselves to blame that we are out the cup.”
Peterhead fell to a 3-0 defeat against Stirling Albion as they concluded their campaign bottom of Group A. Elsewhere, in Group B, Partick Thistle hit four past Montrose in a six-goal thriller at Firhill. Airdrieonians finished second in Group E, however, failed to make the cut after a 3-0 defeat to Arbroath. Meanwhile, FC Edinburgh finished fourth in Group E with a 3-1 loss to St. Mirren and at the Tony Macaroni Arena, Kelty Hearts finished bottom of Group G with a 2-0 defeat away to Livingston.
League Cup Last 16 Draw:
Rangers v Queen of the South
Partick Thistle v Arbroath
Motherwell v Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Livingston v Dundee United
Dundee v Falkirk
Annan Athletic v Aberdeen
Heart of Midlothian v Kilmarnock
Ross County v Celtic
*ties to be played 30th/31st August 2022