Dundee secured their first victory under the management of Steven Pressley, defeating Lowland League's Bonnyrigg Rose 3-1, albeit with some difficulty. The team had previously faced criticism following losses to Airdrieonians and Alloa Athletic, which left them with slim chances of advancing in the Premier Sports Cup.
Clark Robertson gave Dundee the lead 20 minutes into the match, but Cameron Ross equalized for Bonnyrigg before halftime. Despite stout defense from Bonnyrigg, late goals from Emile Acquah and Billy Koumetio ensured Dundee's win.
Alloa leads Group C with nine points, while second-placed Airdrieonians can confirm Dundee's exit when they face Montrose on Wednesday. Dundee will conclude their group-stage matches at home against Montrose on Saturday.
In other matches, Motherwell advanced to the next round with a 3-0 win over Greenock Morton, and Falkirk came from behind to defeat Queen's Park 3-1. Premiership club Kilmarnock was held to a goalless draw by Kelty Hearts and failed to secure a bonus point, losing 4-3 on penalties.
Group A
Falkirk moved to the top of Group A, thanks to a double from Ethan Ross and Brian Graham's first goal for the club. Despite an early strike from Josh Fowler for Queen's Park, Falkirk rallied to maintain their unbeaten status. Cove Rangers beat Brechin City 3-0 in the other Group A match, with David Eguaibor and Mitch Megginson contributing to the scoreline.
Cove stands at seven points, one behind Falkirk, while Spartans are third with six points. Falkirk will wrap up their group-stage fixtures against Spartans on Saturday, while Cove will play away to fourth-place Queen's Park.
Group B
Partick Thistle and Ross County remain contenders for the top spot in Group B after both teams defeated lower-league opponents. Aidan Fitzpatrick and Tsoanelo Letsosa secured a 2-0 win for Thistle over Queen of the South, while Ronan Hale's hat-trick helped County achieve an 8-0 victory against Edinburgh City. Thistle leads the group with nine points, but County, with seven points, can surpass them when they meet in Dingwall on Saturday.
Group D
Ayr United continued their flawless League Cup run with three first-half goals against Forfar at Somerset Park. Dom Thomas, George Oakley, and Curtis Main all scored for Ayr, who now have nine points from three matches. Arbroath's Arran Pettifer scored a hat-trick before halftime, leading to a 6-0 victory over Annan Athletic. A draw away to St Mirren on Sunday would secure Ayr's top spot.
Group E
Dunfermline narrowly defeated Hamilton 2-1 at East End Park. Andrew Tod scored for the hosts before halftime, and although Oli Shaw equalized, an own goal by Lee Kilday secured the win for Dunfermline. Neil Lennon's side has six points and will finish their group stage against Stirling Albion on Saturday.
Group F
Group F saw a flurry of goals as Inverness Caledonian Thistle halted East Kilbride's momentum, and St Johnstone defeated Raith Rovers. East Kilbride, who had won their previous two matches, fell 6-2 despite initially leading. St Johnstone maintained their perfect record with a 3-1 win, thanks to goals from Jamie Gullan, Josh McPake, and Makenzie Kirk. St Johnstone tops the group with nine points and aims for a fourth successive win against Elgin City on Saturday. Should they falter, Inverness could overtake them with a victory over Raith.
Group G
Motherwell's Tawanda Maswanhise was instrumental in securing their progress to the knockout stages. The Zimbabwe forward scored twice, complementing Apostolos Stamatelopoulos's opener, with his second goal being a spectacular curling shot. In the same group, Clyde triumphed 4-3 on penalties against Stenhousemuir after a 2-2 draw.
Group H
Kilmarnock was frustrated by Kelty Hearts, yet Stuart Kettlewell's team remains atop Group H. Despite dominating possession and taking 19 shots, Kilmarnock couldn't break through in regular time and lost 4-3 on penalties. East Fife had no such issues against Brora Rangers, with Alan Trouten scoring twice in a 3-0 win. Kilmarnock holds seven points, with East Fife and Livingston a point behind, and Kelty with five points. Saturday's matches will see Kilmarnock facing East Fife and Livingston taking on Kelty.
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