ST Mirren were handed an away tie at Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup last 16 after topping their group on goal difference. The holders still missed out on being seeded in Sunday’s draw, so the reward for a decent group stage is a trip to one of the harder away days in Scottish football.

St Mirren's awkward draw

The league form does not soften it much. St Mirren have taken seven points from their last five league games, with a WDDWL run that has been decent rather than dominant, and they sit 10th in the Premiership. Rangers have been patchy too, with a WLLLL sequence in their last five league matches, but home advantage still makes this a difficult tie for the holders.

That is the frustration for St Mirren. They did enough to finish top of their group, but the defeat that followed left them outside the seeded places and into a draw that gives them very little margin for error.

Dunfermline's home reward

Neil Lennon had a different tone after Dunfermline landed at home to Ross County. Dunfermline were the last side to qualify for the last 16, with a late Chris Kane penalty away to ST Mirren securing the win that took them through as one of the three best runners-up at Championship rivals Queen's Park's expense.

"I thought we played well in the last half hour and deserved our victory," Lennon said to bbc.co.uk.

He added: "A home tie is the most important thing, but Ross County have been phenomenal this season after a hugely disappointing relegation, so we will not be taking anything for granted."

The tie gives Dunfermline what they wanted most from the draw, a home game, and that is the practical upside after a tight qualification battle. Their recent league form is mixed, with a LDDWL run, so the venue matters more than any talk of momentum.

ST Mirren now have the tougher path, while Dunfermline get the home fixture they wanted and Celtic were also paired with Dundee Utd in an all top-flight tie. The last 16 has given the holders the hardest-looking assignment of the draw, and it starts with Rangers at home.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →