St Johnstone are back at McDiarmid Park on Tuesday night where they will face fellow Championship outfit Ayr United in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Challenge Cup.
The last meeting between these sides finished 4-2 to St Johnstone at Somerset Park. McKenzie and Murphy scored first half goals to put The Honest Men 2-0 up going into the break, but second half goals from Foulds, a brace from McPake and a stoppage time goal from Fotheringham meant that St Johnstone left with all 3 points. In the previous meeting at McDiarmid Park, the game finished goalless.
St Johnstone come into this fixture off the back of a 1-0 home defeat to Dunfermline Athletic, which was The Saints’ first home league defeat of the season, ending an unbeaten run of 11 games. As a result, the Perth outfit now sit 2 points ahead of Partick Thistle in 2nd, who come to McDiarmid Park on Friday night. Before their defeat against Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic, St Johnstone had not lost in 7 games in all competitions, winning 5 and drawing 2, and in that run, Simo Valakari’s side kept 6 clean sheets.
Ayr United come into this fixture off the back of a 2-1 league defeat against Partick Thistle at Firhill. As a result, Ayr United have moved below the play-off spots in 5th, behind Dunfermline Athletic on goal difference. Scott Brown’s side have only won 1 in 5, with that win coming at home against League 2 outfit Stranraer at home in the Challenge Cup. In continuation, Ayr have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 8 matches in all competitions.
To reach this stage of the competition, The Saints defeated Hearts B away from home, Gullan got the goal which sent them through. In the last 16, St Johnstone beat Championship strugglers Ross County 2-0 at McDiarmid Park, a goal from McPake and a first Saints goal from Lloyd sent them through to the quarter-finals.
To reach this stage of the competition, Ayr United defeated Peterhead 2-1 at home, Dowds and McAllister got the goals. And in the previous round, the Ayrshire outfit defeated League 2 side Stranraer. Main, Dempsey, Finney and Thomas all got on the scoresheet.
Simo Valakari on his side’s defeat against Dunfermline:
“Dunfermline were very dangerous up front and very solid at the back. One action decided the game. They took their chance and we didn’t take ours. That’s why we can have no argument about the result. Most of the season we have been on the right side of the small margins because we’ve been doing so many right things. This afternoon they didn’t go for us. Maybe we weren’t at our best – especially in the opposition’s box. We created moments. You get these kinds of games, but still the boys gave everything. When we win, we celebrate and tonight we suffer.”
Ayr United assistant manager, Steven Whittaker, on Tuesday night’s Challenge Cup meeting with St Johnstone:
“It’s a competition we have aimed to do well in. It’s a tough draw but we go there having had a good performance earlier in the season.
“We need to re-group, learn from today and hopefully go up there and put a good performance in.”
