St Johnstone crashed out of the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday after East Fife scored a stoppage-time equaliser, while Dundee United squeezed through after Montrose lost 2-0 to Spartans in the final round of group action.
The last day of the groups had been set up to decide the final group winner and the best runner-up place, with qualification for the last 16 still dependent on both those routes. St Johnstone were still trying to reach the knockout stage as one of the three best-placed runners-up, but the late goal from East Fife ended those hopes.
Spartans keep pressure on Montrose
Montrose’s defeat at home to Spartans proved decisive in the race for qualification. James Craigen gave Spartans the lead after 11 minutes, before MacKenzie Ross added a second goal in the 77th minute. That 2-0 win was enough to help Dundee United move through as the other results fell into place.
Elsewhere in the group stage, Aberdeen made a fast start against Kelty Hearts when Kevin Nisbet opened the scoring after two minutes. Toyosi Olusanya added Aberdeen’s third goal just after the break. In another notable result, Ben Johnstone replied for Queen of the South in first-half stoppage time against Queen's Park, while Ryan Dow scored the winner for Arbroath against Stirling Albion in the second half.
What Sunday decided
On the final day of group action, the picture was simple: the final group winner and the best runner-up had to be decided, with several Scottish clubs still in the mix. By the end of the day, St Johnstone were out, Dundee United had progressed, and the remaining qualification places were still being sorted through the group standings and runner-up places.
For St Johnstone, the frustration was clear. They had put themselves in contention for a place in the last 16, only to be denied when East Fife found a stoppage-time equaliser. For Dundee United, the result at Montrose was enough to squeeze through and keep their Premier Sports Cup run alive.
