Ayr United vs St Johnstone
8th February 1500hrs
Football – Scotland – Scottish Cup
Pick St Johnstone
Bookmaker Marathonbet
Odds: 101/100 odds taken 2000 GMT, Thursday 6 February
Ayr will be out to upset a Premiership side for the second round in a row as they face 2014 winners St Johnstone at Somerset Park, having knocked out Ross County previously.
Table of Contents
Ayr United Preview – Can Ayr knockout out another Premiership side en route to the quarter-finals?
It was one of a few upsets in the previous round as Ayr knocked out Ross County. A 1-0 victory was enough to see them through and their reward is another Premiership team. It’s a nice bonus for a club who are chasing promotion to the top-flight as their priority. Marr Kerr – who took over from Ian McCall earlier in the season – remains a player/coach and has memories of playing in the final of this competition when playing with Dundee United.
United have a relatively good record in the Scottish Cup of late having reached the quarter-final stage back in 2017 but they have also been on the wrong end of a massive cup shock at the hands of junior club Auchlinleck Talbot last season. They have managed to put that right this season and hoping to continue their cup journey.
St Johnstone Preview – Can Saints continue their recent good run and avoid a cup upset at Somerset?
One of St Johnstone’s greatest ever days came back in 2014 when winning the Scottish Cup for the first ever – and to date only – time. This current set of players will know that a repeat of that is a long way off but they do approach this fifth round game in confident mood following a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Aberdeen in the league on Wednesday which seen them move nine points clear of bottom spot.
Tommy Wright knows that with the pressure lifted somewhat in terms of their league position that he can focus more on the cup competition and build on a good 3-0 success of Morton in the previous round.
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Goals have been hard to come by for St Johnstone this season and their tally of 22 is the second lowest n the Premiership. Wright will point to the fact they have hit three against Hearts and Morton already this year but they appear to be the exceptions.
St Johnston have not scored more than one goal away from home in their last seven games but have won three of those by 1-0.
Ayr United vs St Johnstone Betting Advice
This game is unlikely to be a classic as both teams have shown better form defensively than they have in attack of late. Ayr will believe that they have shown the sort of performance that can get them a result here and against a team of a similar profile to Ross County who they defeated in the previous round.
For Saints, they can play with a bit more freedom following their midweek win and that now means they have won three of their last four away games.
Key Facts – Ayr United vs St Johnstone Betting Tip
- Championship outfit caused a surprise in the previous round knocking out top-flight Ross County
- Saints had few problems when dispatching Greenock Morton 3-0 to reach this stage
- St Johnstone won the Scottish Cup back in 2014 – their only success in this competition
In terms of an outcome for this one I expect it to be a low-scoring affair. Six of St Johnstone’s last seven away games have had two or fewer goals scored and four of Ayr’s last six home games have been the same. The bet I like more, however, is an away win. St Johnstone don’t give much away at all on their travels and have a habit of nicking a goal before going on to defend that lead. They can get the better of Ayr here, just.
The best betting odds for Ayr United vs St Johnstone
Ayr United to win: 13/5 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at Bet365
St Johnstone to win: 1/1 at Bet365
