Johnstone East Fife: League Cup stats and head-to-head
St. Johnstone host East Fife in Scottish League Cup Group F at McDiarmid Park, with the johnstone east fife meeting level early and both chasing a strong group finish. Season stats favour the Saints' defence, while head-to-head history includes a 5-1 League Cup win for St. Johnstone in July 2024.
Key Takeaways
- St. Johnstone and East Fife meet in League Cup Group F at McDiarmid Park, with the match opening goalless in the early minutes.
- BBC Sport's Group F table lists Inverness CT on 9 points, East Fife on 8, and St. Johnstone on 7.
- In League Cup play this season, St. Johnstone have scored 5 and conceded 1; East Fife have scored 6 and conceded 2.
- Recent head-to-head results include St. Johnstone's 5-1 League Cup win in July 2024 and a 3-0 friendly win in July 2023.
- Championship winners St. Johnstone are preparing for Premiership return; East Fife finished eighth in League One last term.
What is the score and why does this Group F game matter?
According to BBC Sport's live coverage, St. Johnstone versus East Fife is a Scottish League Cup group-stage fixture in Group F at McDiarmid Park. The contest was 0-0 in the opening minutes after kick-off.
The group picture underlines the stakes. BBC's Group F standings show Inverness Caledonian Thistle top on nine points, East Fife second on eight, and St. Johnstone third on seven. For more odd and viral sports angles, see Bizarre World on BlasterPost.
St. Johnstone manager Simo Valakari lined his side up in a 4-2-3-1, with captain Jason Holt in midfield. East Fife, managed by Dick Campbell, started in a 4-4-2 with captain Brian Easton and striker Nathan Austin among the XI. Peter Stuart was the referee.
How do the johnstone east fife League Cup stats compare?
BBC's season-so-far League Cup numbers show St. Johnstone with five goals scored and one conceded, from 38 shots and 20 on target. East Fife have six goals scored and two conceded, from 24 shots and 13 on target.
Form leading into the tie was mixed but telling. St. Johnstone's seven-game winning run ended with a 1-0 League Cup defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Before that, the Saints beat Greenock Morton 3-0 and Linlithgow Rose 2-0 in the competition.
East Fife had beaten Linlithgow Rose 3-1 and Greenock Morton 2-0, and drawn 1-1 with Inverness. Betting preview notes also said the visitors had won none of their last 11 away games, framing this as a step up against a side freshly crowned Scottish Championship winners.
What does the head-to-head history say?
Previous meetings listed by BBC Sport lean toward St. Johnstone. In the League Cup on 27 July 2024, St. Johnstone beat East Fife 5-1. On 11 July 2023, East Fife lost 0-3 to St. Johnstone in a club friendly. Their League Cup meeting on 14 July 2018 finished 0-0 at McDiarmid Park.
That pattern helps explain why previews cast the hosts as favourites for a routine home win before Premiership football resumes, with St. Johnstone due to open against Kilmarnock the following week. East Fife, eighth in League One last season, arrive as the lower-league side hunting a group statement.
Live stats were still sparse early on, with possession and shots yet to build after a foul by Zach Mitchell and a free-kick won by Austin. For full updates, scores, and tables, follow the BBC Sport live match centre as Group F unfolds.