Preview:St Mirren vs Ayr United - prediction, team news, lineups

The top two teams in Group D will clash on Sunday afternoon as St Mirren host Ayr United in the final group stage game in the Scottish League Cup.

The hosts are second in the table with seven points from three games, while the visitors are first in the standings with nine points from their three fixtures.

Match preview

St Mirren secured a third consecutive top-half finish in the Scottish Premiership last season, narrowly finishing in sixth and just one point above seventh-placed Hearts in the pre-split term.

A positive post-split campaign followed as Stephen Robinson's side remained undefeated in their five fixtures, recording two wins and three draws as they finished the season in sixth with 50 points - their highest points tally in the modern era.

That form has continued throughout pre-season and their opening Scottish League Cup fixtures, with St Mirren undefeated in normal time in their last 12 matches across all competitions.

The Saints drew 0-0 in their opening group game against Arbroath - though they lost 5-3 in the proceeding penalty shootout for an extra point - before defeating both Forfar Athletic and Annan Athletic, with the latter being a crushing 8-2 win.

Now trailing the Group D leaders by two points on the final day, a victory is required for St Mirren to top the group and secure their progression into the next round.

While the hosts are the favourites going into the encounter, Ayr United must not be taken lightly, as the Honest Men have comfortably won all three of their group fixtures thus far.

Ayr United began their Scottish League Cup campaign with a 6-1 win over Annan Athletic, followed by beating Arbroath 4-0 and Forfar Athletic 3-0.

As a result, Ayr United must simply avoid defeat to ensure their first-placed finish and progression from Group D, though they may still qualify as one of the three best runners-up in the case of a loss to St Mirren.

Scott Brown will be hoping for his side to draw belief from their current run of form, as their recent record against St Mirren is far from favourable, having failed to defeat the Saints in any of their last eight meetings.

St Mirren Scottish League Cup form:

D W W

Ayr United Scottish League Cup form:

W W W

Team News

St Mirren recorded a remarkable 8-2 victory over Annan Athletic in their latest outing, meaning Robinson may decide to name a largely unchanged team in this one.

Mark O'Hara returned to the midfield for that match after missing their game with Forfar due to suspension, and the midfielder should partner Killian Phillips once again here.

Elsewhere, Mikael Mandron will lead the line following a hat-trick against Annan - taking his Scottish League Cup tally to four goals in three games - while Conor McMenamin and Jonah Ayunga are expected to start from the wings.

As for Ayr United, as they come into this match on the back of three straight victories - with an aggregate score of 13-1 - Brown is expected to field the same starting 11 here.

George Oakley has scored in all three of their group games, including a hat-trick against Annan, and the striker should lead the line for Ayr United.

Further back, Curtis Main should partner Ethan Walker in an advanced midfield role, while Mark McKenzie is likely to feature from the base of the midfield.

St Mirren possible starting lineup:

Mullen; Gogic, King, Fraser; Tanser, Phillips, O'Hara, Taylor; McMenamin, Mandron, Ayunga

Ayr United possible starting lineup:

Mitchell; Watret, Holt, Want, Dick; Bonnar, Main, McKenzie, Walker, Thomas; Oakley

We say: St Mirren 1-1 Ayr United

St Mirren may be the stronger team on paper, especially given their recent record against Ayr United, but the visitors have been superb in the Scottish League Cup thus far, and we believe their unbeaten run will continue with a hard-fought draw on Sunday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.