Viaplay Cup: Despair for Dundee United yet again, Dundee grab win, Motherwell taken to penalties

Dundee United’s demoralising start to the season continued as they were left staring at an ignominious Viaplay Cup group stage exit following a second successive defeat at home to Partick Thistle.

Partick Thistle's Jack Milne scored the winner for the Jags against Dundee United at Tannadice.

Jim Goodwin’s side went into their first home game of the campaign on Tuesday under heavy pressure following their humiliating defeat away to fourth-tier Spartans on Saturday. However, despite taking the lead against their Championship rivals Thistle, United ended up losing 2-1 and now languish bottom of Group B as the only one of the five teams yet to record a single point. Craig Sibbald gave the Tannadice side the lead in the 18th minute, but goals either side of the interval from Brian Graham and Harry Milne were enough to secure victory for the Jags and all but end the embattled hosts’ hopes of qualifying for the knockout phase. In the other game in the section, there was late frustration for Spartans as visitors Falkirk secured a 2-1 win at Ainslie Park through an 88th-minute goal from Ross MacIver after Blair Henderson, who scored the winner against United at the weekend, had cancelled out Tom Lang’s early opener for the Bairns.

Motherwell remain on course for qualification for the last 16 despite dropping a point away to Queen of the South. The Steelmen were held to a 3-3 draw in regulation time before claiming a bonus point by winning the penalty shootout. Stuart Kettlewell’s team, featuring debutant Pape Souare, looked to be in a spot of bother when Kieran McKechnie gave the League One side an 18th-minute lead, but goals either side of half-time from Blair Spittal and Callum Slattery turned the game in their favour. Gavin Reilly equalised for Queens, but Spittal swiftly restored the Premiership side’s lead. Reilly struck again for Marvin Bartley’s team and Well had Ricki Lamie sent off in the dying moments, just before they edged it in the shootout. East Fife are alongside Motherwell on the five-point mark at the top of Group G after Nathan Austin struck a hat-trick in a 3-1 home win over League Two rivals Elgin.

Given the slip-ups of other top seeds over the first two rounds of fixtures, Premiership new boys Dundee will have been delighted to kick off their campaign with a slender 1-0 win away to Bonnyrigg Rose in Tony Docherty’s first match as manager. Zak Rudden scored the only goal of the game at New Dundas Park two minutes after the break on a night when the Dark Blues introduced new signing Malachi Boateng as a second-half substitute just hours after the 21-year-old midfielder had sealed a season-long loan from Crystal Palace. In the other match in Group E, League Two side Dumbarton pulled off a surprise 2-1 win at home to Championship outfit Inverness.

Dundee edged out Bonnyrigg Rose thanks to this goal from Zak Rudden.

Ayr are top of Group A after Mark McKenzie’s first-half goal secured a 1-0 home win over Stenhousemuir. Stirling are second in the section following their 2-1 victory away to Alloa. Hamilton kept up their perfect start in Group C with a 1-0 home win over Brechin, while Cove are second in the table after a 5-2 victory at home to Clyde. Morton are clear at the top of Group D after making it back-to-back wins with a 3-0 triumph over Stranraer at Cappielow, while, in Group F, the two Fife clubs, Dunfermline and Raith Rovers, are in the top two places after 4-0 and 2-0 wins over Annan and Albion Rovers respectively. Forfar are the early pacesetters in Group H after they won 2-1 away to a Montrose side who were unable to build on their shock triumph over St Mirren at the weekend.