St Johnstone vs Ayr United
22 July 1500hrs
Football – Scotland – League Cup
Pick St Johnstone
Bookmaker Boylesports
Odds: 6/10 odds taken 2000 GMT, Monday 12 July
The League Cup group stage comes to an end this weekend and St Johnstone are licking their wounds having missed out on winning their section, they will be looking to sneak in through the back door against Ayr United.
Table of Contents
St Johnstone Preview – Can Saints find the win which put them in with a chance of progressing to the knockout stages?
Last season was a struggle for St Johnstone, and one which ultimately ended with Callum Davidson’s men having to see off Inverness Caley Thistle in the relegation playoff. It is one they won’t want to repeat in a hurry and there has been plenty of players coming and going in an attempt to avoid it this time around.
Goalkeeper Zander Clark is the biggest name to depart whilst a number of players with Premiership experience have been added. They include veteran Andy Considine who arrives from Aberdeen, on-loan utility player Adam Montgomery, Jamie Murphy from Hibs and Graham Carey who returns to Scotland since leaving Ross County back in 2015.
Ayr United Preview – Wil Ayr bounce back from recent disappointments and give themselves a squeak of progressing?
Ayr had their own relegation worries last season with Lee Bullen’s men only secured their Championship status in the penultimate week of the campaign, eventually finishing four points above the relegation playoff spot in their division.
Bullen – who arrived at Somerset Park at the start of this year – essentially achieved his goal of keeping Ayr in the league and will know it will be another battle in order to repeat that.
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They get their league campaign up and running next week but before then, they have this final match of the League Cup group stage – a section in which they have struggled. The Honest Men were awarded three points following Elgin fielding an ineligible player in a game that finished goalless before an Ayr win on penalties. They have since been thumped by Queen of the South and lost on penalties at Annan who are confirmed as group winners.
Whilst it would still be mathematically possible Ayr could finish as one of the best runners up with seven points, they would need a lot of other results to go their way – so it is very much about getting a good performance and see where they go from there.
St Johnstone vs Ayr United Betting Advice
Annan – one of two League Two clubs in this section – have embarrassed St Johnstone (and Ayr for that matter) by finishing top of the group with a game to spare. Saints need a fast start to this season following their struggles in the last one and if they don’t reach the knockout stages, then it will be pressure on before the Premiership season even gets going.
The last time these teams met was back in 2020 in the Scottish Cup, the Perth Saints progressing en route to winning the competition.
Key Facts – St Johnstone vs Ayr United Betting Tip
- St Johnstone are unbeaten after 90 minutes in each of their games but have managed only one win
- Ayr’s only win in this section have come courtesy of Elgin fielding an ineligible player
- Saints defeated Ayr en route to winning the Scottish Cup in 2020, the last times these teams met
The win in midweek over Elgin should at least give St Johnstone some confidence and returning home, they can get three points which will at least give them hope of progressing.
Best Betting Odds for St Johnstone vs Ayr United
