St Mirren have been handed a probably difficult draw for this season's Premier Sports activities Cup.
With regionalisation eliminated for this 12 months’s competitors after six years of the North/South break up within the group stage, the Buddies might have confronted anybody outdoors the highest seeds.
Having been drawn out of pot 1 into group E, the Saints will face Championship facet Arbroath who narrowly missed out on promotion to the highest flight after working Kilmarnock very shut for the title.
The Paisley facet may even face League One golf equipment Airdrieonians and Edinburgh Metropolis, with the capital group having simply been promoted as much as the third tier, in addition to Lowland League outfit Cowdenbeath.
And relying on the fixture draw, with the Buddies dealing with 4 video games over the 5 potential dates, Stephen Robinson's facet will probably kick begin their marketing campaign on the weekend of July 9/10, earlier than dealing with a midweek conflict on July 12/13.
Three extra dates observe on the weekend of July 16/17, the midweek of July 19/20 earlier than the ultimate tie on the weekend of July 23/24.
With the draw now full, the ultimate fixture checklist will probably be introduced shortly. That can permit Buddies to arrange for some fascinating away days in simply over six weeks' time, with a visit to Gayfield Park excessive on many followers' wishlists.
In the identical competitors final season St Mirren received off to the simplest begin attainable after being awarded a walkover win over Dumbarton, who had been unable to subject a group on account of a coronavirus outbreak.
They adopted that up with a 1-0 win in opposition to Dunfermline in Paisley, with 500 fortunate Saints followers allowed again into the SMISA Stadium for the primary time because the pandemic started. Curtis Fundamental headed residence the decisive purpose.
A routine 3-1 victory over Stenhousemuir at Ochilview Park was folllowed up by a 2-0 residence win in opposition to Partick Thistle, with the Buddies drawn to play Livingston away within the second spherical after topping Group H.
Alan Forrest gave the Lions the lead within the first half, earlier than defender Conor McCarthy struck late to pressure the sport to extra-time.
The tie was finally selected penalties, with the West Lothian facet popping out on prime after Curtis Fundamental blazed vast and Max Stryjek denied Kyle McAllister and Cammy MacPherson from the spot.
Within the 2020/21 version of the League Cup St Mirren made all of it the best way to the semi-finals, solely to be defeated 1-0 at Hampden Park by David Martindale’s Livingston as soon as once more with Scott Robinson grabbing the essential winner.
St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has some kind within the League Cup, having guided Motherwell to the ultimate in 2017 throughout his first full season in cost at Fir Park.
The Steelmen beat Rangers 2-0 at Hampden within the semi-finals due to a formidable brace from Louis Moult, organising a return to the nationwide stadium to face Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic.
In a good remaining the Hoops lastly broke Motherwell’s resistance when James Forrest opened the scoring within the second half, with Moussa Dembele wrapping up the tie from the penalty spot when Cedric Kipre was controversially despatched off.
That denied Robinson an opportunity to put in writing himself into Motherwell folklore, however he’ll be determined to do the identical once more in what would be the tenth anniversary 12 months of the Buddies’ final League Cup win come the ultimate.
That is because of happen on Sunday, February 26, 2023, having been pushed again on account of this 12 months's World Cup which kicks off in Qatar in November.