Weekend in Numbers

6 – Dundee cruised into the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup courtesy of a 6-1 victory over Airdrieonians at the Scot Foam Stadium at Dens Park. Seb Palmer-Houlden, Jordan McGhee, Scott Tiffoney, Juan Portales, Curtis Main and Lyall Cameron were all on the scoresheet for Tony Docherty’s side as they continued their impressive start to the season. The Dees have won six and drawn one of their opening seven matches – this is their best start to a season since 1972/73, when they won six League Cup group stage matches and drew their opening league fixture. Dundee have already scored a whopping 29 goals this season, and have scored six or more in three of their seven matches.

1 – Falkirk defeated Heart of Midlothian 2-0 at The Falkirk Stadium to seal their place in the last eight of the Premier Sports Cup. Goals from Ethan Ross and Dylan Tait helped John McGlynn’s side topple their William Hill Premiership opponents. This continued the Bairns’ impressive record against the Jam Tarts in cup competitions – they have won four of their last six ties against Hearts in the League Cup and Scottish Cup. Saturday’s win was the Bairns’ first victory over top-flight opposition in any knockout cup tie since 2015/16, when they defeated Partick Thistle 1-0 at Firhill in the League Cup.

3 – The Spartans sprung the biggest shock of the Premier Sports Cup weekend by defeating Ross County 1-0 at Ainslie Park. Blair Henderson’s fifth goal of the season was enough to seal Spartans’ first-ever victory over top-flight opposition and make them the last remaining Edinburgh club in the competition. This is the first time Spartans have reached the last eight of the League Cup – they are the 43rd different club to make it this far in the competition, and the first new team to do so since Livingston and Inverness Caledonian Thistle both reached their first quarter-final in 2001/02.

3 – Ayr United defeated Hamilton Academical 3-2 at Somerset Park to maintain their perfect start to the William Hill Championship season. Jamie Murphy, Marco Rus and George Oakley were all on the scoresheet as Scott Brown’s side came from behind to seal victory. This is the first time the Honest Men have won their opening three league fixtures since their 2014/15 League 1 campaign, and the first time in the second tier since 1991/92. Ayr are now unbeaten in their last 11 games against Accies in all competitions – they have won seven and drawn four since the start of 2021/22.

7 – Kelty Hearts moved to the top of William Hill League 1 thanks to a 3-0 victory over Arbroath at The Greenversity Stadium at Gayfield. Scott Allan, Scott Williamson and Ross Cunningham all found the net as Michael Tidser’s side made it two wins and a draw from their opening three fixtures. This was the first ever league meeting of these two sides – their only previous encounter was a League Cup tie at Gayfield in 2021/22, when the Red Lichties won 3-2.