# 2016–17 Scottish League Cup group stage

The 2016–17 Scottish League Cup group stage was played from 15 July to 31 July 2016. A total of 40 teams competed in the group stage. The winners of each of the 8 groups, as well as the 4 best runners-up progressed to the second round (last 16) of the 2016–17 Scottish League Cup.

## Format

The group stage is made up of 9 teams from the 2015–16 Scottish Premiership, 9 from the 2015–16 Scottish Championship, 10 from each of the 2015–16 Scottish League One and 2015–16 Scottish League Two, as well as the winners of the 2015–16 Highland Football League and 2015–16 Lowland Football League, and will see these 40 teams divided into two sections: 4 groups of 20 teams from the North section and 4 groups of 20 teams from the South sections. Each section comprises four top seeded teams, four second seeded teams and 12 unseeded teams, with each group being made up of 1 top seed, 1 second seed and 3 unseeded sides. The draw for the group stages took place on 27 May 2016 at 7:30pm BST at the BT Sport Studio in London and was shown live on BT Sport Europe.

## Teams

Teams in Bold qualified for the second round

### Seeding
#### North

| Top seeds | Second seeds | Unseeded |
| 01. St Johnstone 02. Ross County 03. Inverness CT 04. Dundee | 09. Dundee United 10. Falkirk 11. Raith Rovers 12. Dumbarton | 17. Dunfermline Athletic 18. Alloa Athletic 19. Peterhead 20. Brechin City 21. East Fife 22. Cowdenbeath 23. Forfar Athletic 24. Elgin City 25. Stirling Albion 26. Arbroath 27. Montrose 28. Cove Rangers |

#### South

| Top seeds | Second seeds | Unseeded |
| 05. Motherwell 06. Partick Thistle 07. Hamilton Academical 08. Kilmarnock | 13. Rangers 14. Greenock Morton 15. St Mirren 16. Queen of the South | 29. Ayr United 30. Livingston 31. Stranraer 32. Airdrieonians 33. Albion Rovers 34. Stenhousemuir 35. Queen's Park 36. Clyde 37. Annan Athletic 38. Berwick Rangers 39. Edinburgh City 40. East Stirlingshire |

## North

All times are BST (UTC+1).

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PET | EFI | DND | FOR | DUM |
| 1 | Peterhead (Q) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 8 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | — |
| 2 | East Fife | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | | 2–1 | — | p1–1 | — | — |
| 3 | Dundee | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 5 | +10 | 7 | | — | — | — | 7–0 | 6–2 |
| 4 | Forfar Athletic | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 5 | | — | 2–0 | — | — | p2–2 |
| 5 | Dumbarton | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 13 | −6 | 2 | | 3–3p | 0–2 | — | — | — |

#### Matches
### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | STJ | FAL | STI | BRE | ELG |
| 1 | St Johnstone (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | 3–0 | 4–0 | — | — |
| 2 | Falkirk | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 | | — | — | — | 2–0 | 3–0 |
| 3 | Stirling Albion | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 6 | | — | 1–0 | — | — | 4–1 |
| 4 | Brechin City | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 5 | | p1–1 | — | 2–1 | — | — |
| 5 | Elgin City | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 3 | | 1–3 | — | — | 4–2 | — |

#### Matches
### Group C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ICT | DUN | DNF | COW | ARB |
| 1 | Inverness CT (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 3 | +12 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | 1–1p | — | — | 7–0 |
| 2 | Dundee United (Q) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 10 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 2–0 | 6–1 | — |
| 3 | Dunfermline Athletic | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | | 1–5 | — | — | — | 3–0 |
| 4 | Cowdenbeath | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 3 | | 1–2 | — | 0–3 | — | — |
| 5 | Arbroath | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | −12 | 1 | | — | 1–1p | — | 0–2 | — |

#### Matches
### Group D

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ALL | RAI | ROS | COV | MON |
| 1 | Alloa Athletic (Q) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 12 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 3–2 | 4–0 | — |
| 2 | Raith Rovers | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | | 0–1 | — | — | — | 2–1 |
| 3 | Ross County | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 4 | +7 | 7 | | — | 1–1p | — | 7–0 | — |
| 4 | Cove Rangers | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 3 | | — | 1–2 | — | — | 3–0 |
| 5 | Montrose | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8 | −7 | 0 | | 0–2 | — | 0–1 | — | — |

#### Matches
## South

All times are BST (UTC+1).

### Group E

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PAR | QOS | AIR | QPA | STE |
| 1 | Partick Thistle (Q) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 12 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | 2–1 | — | 2–0 | — |
| 2 | Queen of the South (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 9 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 2–0 | — | 1–0 |
| 3 | Airdrieonians | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 5 | | 0–1 | — | — | — | 2–1 |
| 4 | Queen's Park | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 4 | | — | 0–2 | p3–3 | — | — |
| 5 | Stenhousemuir | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 0 | | 1–4 | — | — | 0–2 | — |

#### Matches
### Group F

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | RAN | MOT | STR | ANN | EST |
| 1 | Rangers (Q) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | +10 | 12 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 3–0 | 2–0 | — |
| 2 | Motherwell (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 9 | Qualification for the Second Round | 0–2 | — | — | — | 3–0 |
| 3 | Stranraer | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 6 | | — | 0–3 | — | — | 3–1 |
| 4 | Annan Athletic | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 3 | | — | 1–3 | 1–2 | — | — |
| 5 | East Stirlingshire | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 0 | | 0–3 | — | — | 0–2 | — |

#### Matches
### Group G

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | HAM | AYR | STM | LIV | EDI |
| 1 | Hamilton Academical (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 9 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 3–0 | 2–1 | — |
| 2 | Ayr United (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 9 | Qualification for the Second Round | 2–1 | — | — | — | 1–0 |
| 3 | St Mirren | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 9 | | — | 1–0 | — | — | 3–0 |
| 4 | Livingston | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 3 | | — | 0–2 | 2–3 | — | — |
| 5 | Edinburgh City | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 0 | | 2–4 | — | — | 0–3 | — |

#### Matches
### Group H

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GMO | KIL | CLY | ALB | BER |
| 1 | Morton (Q) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 11 | Qualification for the Second Round | — | — | 1–0 | — | 2–0 |
| 2 | Kilmarnock | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | | 0–2 | — | — | 0–0p | — |
| 3 | Clyde | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 5 | | — | 1–2 | — | — | p1–1 |
| 4 | Albion Rovers | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 5 | | 0–0p | — | 1–2 | — | — |
| 5 | Berwick Rangers | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 2 | | — | 2–3 | — | 0–0p | — |

#### Matches
## Best runners-up

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Dundee United (Q) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 10 | Qualification to the Second Round |
| 2 | Motherwell (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 9 | Qualification to the Second Round |
| 3 | Queen of the South (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 9 | Qualification to the Second Round |
| 4 | Ayr United (Q) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 9 | Qualification to the Second Round |
| 5 | Raith Rovers | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | |
| 6 | East Fife | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | |
| 7 | Kilmarnock | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | |
| 8 | Falkirk | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 | |

## Qualified teams

| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Notes |
| Rangers | Group F winner | 25 July 2016 | Seeded for the Second Round draw |
| Peterhead | Group A winner | 30 July 2016 | |
| St Johnstone | Group B winner | 30 July 2016 | |
| Alloa Athletic | Group D winner | 30 July 2016 | Seeded for the Second Round draw |
| Partick Thistle | Group E winner | 30 July 2016 | Seeded for the Second Round draw |
| Hamilton Academical | Group G winner | 30 July 2016 | |
| Morton | Group H winner | 30 July 2016 | Seeded for the Second Round draw |
| Inverness CT | Group C winner | 30 July 2016 | |
| Motherwell | Best runner-up | 30 July 2016 | |
| Queen of the South | Best runner-up | 30 July 2016 | |
| Ayr United | Best runner-up | 30 July 2016 | |
| Dundee United | Best runner-up | 31 July 2016 | |

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Brian Graham | Ross County | 6 |
| 1 | Greg Stewart | Dundee | 6 |
| 3 | Scott Boden | Inverness CT | 4 |
| 3 | Andy Geggan | Dunfermline Athletic | 4 |
| 3 | Blair Henderson | Stirling Albion | 4 |
| 3 | Rory McAllister | Peterhead | 4 |
| 3 | Simon Murray | Dundee United | 4 |
| 3 | Iain Vigurs | Inverness CT | 4 |
| 3 | Martyn Waghorn | Rangers | 4 |
| 10 | Adam Brown | Airdrieonians | 3 |
| 10 | Souleymane Coulibaly | Kilmarnock | 3 |
| 10 | Kane Hemmings | Dundee | 3 |
| 10 | Marvin Johnson | Motherwell | 3 |
| 10 | Steven MacLean | St Johnstone | 3 |
| 10 | Alex Schalk | Ross County | 3 |
| 10 | Greig Spence | Alloa Athletic | 3 |
| 10 | Danny Swanson | St Johnstone | 3 |
| 10 | Carl Tremarco | Inverness CT | 3 |