Celtic to Face Falkirk in Premier Sports Cup Last 16 Draw

GLASGOW, Scotland — Holders Celtic will host newly promoted Falkirk in the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup following the draw held on Monday. This will mark Celtic’s first match in the tournament this season, as they had earlier received a bye through the group stage.

In another matchup, Alloa Athletic, who topped their group, will visit Rangers. St Mirren secured their place with a win over Ayr United and will face Scottish Premiership rivals Heart of Midlothian. Despite their loss, Ayr progressed as one of the three best runners-up and will travel to take on Partick Thistle, another Championship side.

Top-flight teams Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hibernian, Celtic, and Rangers had bye into this round due to their participation in European competitions. Aberdeen will play against Greenock Morton, while Dundee United and Hibernian are set to compete against Kilmarnock and Livingston respectively.

Relegated St Johnstone will host Motherwell in another tie. Matches are scheduled to take place over the weekend of August 16/17, with the complete fixture list and TV selections to be confirmed later this week.

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson expressed enthusiasm about progressing in the tournament, saying, “First and foremost, you try to progress to the knock-out stages and try to get a home tie – and we’ve done that.” Robinson acknowledged that while Hearts are a formidable opponent, he is optimistic about his team’s chances.

Ayr United manager Scott Brown was disappointed with the home draw but noted, “We have come away to a top-six side and competed, and especially in the second half, we were miles better than them.” He highlighted the need for his team to step up their game against strong opponents.

The full match line-up for the last 16 is as follows:

Celtic vs. Falkirk
Greenock Morton vs. Aberdeen
Kilmarnock vs. Dundee United
Livingston vs. Hibernian
Partick Thistle vs. Ayr United
Rangers vs. Alloa Athletic
St Johnstone vs. Motherwell
St Mirren vs. Hearts