St Johnstone's Premier Sports Cup campaign came to an abrupt end after East Fife snatched a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser, denying the Premiership side a chance to progress. Despite Sam Stanton's late strike seemingly putting St Johnstone in contention for a best runners-up spot, East Fife's Jack Healy capitalised on a defensive error to level the score and secure the bonus point in a 1-1 draw, ultimately pushing St Johnstone to third in Group F behind Inverness Caledonian Thistle and East Fife, neither of whom made the knockout stage.
In contrast, Premiership rivals Dundee United managed to secure their passage to the last 16 as Group B winners, albeit after a tense conclusion. Montrose, needing just a point at home to Spartans to win Group B, surprisingly fell to a 2-0 defeat. James Craigen opened the scoring for Spartans from a free-kick after 11 minutes, and MacKenzie Ross sealed Montrose's fate with a second goal in the 77th minute. This result allowed Dundee United to progress, while Montrose's hopes of a major achievement were dashed.
Elsewhere in the competition, several other teams confirmed their places in the knockout stages. Aberdeen secured top spot in Group A with a commanding victory over Kelty Hearts, featuring a Kevin Nisbet penalty and an assist, alongside goals from Kjartan Kjartansson and Toyosi Olusanya. Ross County also progressed as Group D winners, comfortably defeating Airdrieonians with goals from Jamie Lindsay, Jack Turner, and new signing Lewis Jamieson. Championship side Ayr United, propelled by a brace from on-loan Dundee United striker and a goal from Jamie Murphy, defeated Alloa Athletic to win Group G.
Kilmarnock and Stenhousemuir also emerged as group winners, with Stenhousemuir dramatically winning a three-way fight for top spot in Group E following a penalty shoot-out against Livingston after a goalless draw. Livingston's failure to secure the bonus point meant they missed out on a runners-up spot, which went to Partick Thistle. Dundee also progressed as one of the best runners-up, securing their place with a 4-1 win over Clyde, featuring goals from Alan Forrest, a Simon Murray penalty, and a brace from Simon Westley.
The final group winner and best runner-up positions are still to be decided on Sunday. St Mirren will guarantee Group C victory if they avoid defeat at home to Dunfermline Athletic. A win for Dunfermline would see them progress as either group winners or runners-up, given their superior goal difference over Queen's Park. The upcoming fixtures will finalise the lineup for the knockout stage of the Premier Sports Cup.