Thirty-one sides stay within the SFA Youth Cup with the arrival of the third spherical of this 12 months’s competitors now upon us. With 15 mouthwatering U18 encounters on the horizon, let’s delve deeper into what shall be an action-packed spherical of soccer.
Motherwell vs. Ross County
Having already kicked off the spherical, the fixture between The Metal Males and The Staggies noticed the guests progress.
Either side approached the tie off the again of rampant shows of their earlier cup video games. Motherwell dispatched of Edinburgh Metropolis with a 7-0 scoreline at Fir Park, whereas the Highlanders sunk Lossiemouth 8-0 at dwelling.
Torran Lambey scored the one aim within the third-round contest as County travelled dwelling victors in a carefully fought match in Motherwell. They are going to remember to hold a watchful eye over the remainder of the proceedings, realizing that quickly they’ll discover out who their opponents shall be, come the subsequent stage of the cup.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle vs. Hamilton Academical
The second of the SFA Youth Cup third-round fixtures is a tasty conflict between Inverness Caley Thistle and Hamilton Accies. With the sport being at Caledonian Stadium, the Younger Caley shall be desirous to carry out in entrance of a supportive dwelling crowd.
Standing of their method are Charlie Mulgrew’s Accies – of whom eleven starlets signed their first skilled contracts solely three weeks in the past. They head into the tie after a 4-0 win towards Haddington Athletic within the earlier spherical.
Banks O’Dee vs. St. Johnstone
Having but to concede over the earlier two rounds, Banks O’Dee goals to proceed their improbable kind towards St. Johnstone. The Aberdeen facet have scored a mixed 9 objectives over their SFA Youth Cup video games towards Formartine United and Nairn County.
Membership Academy Scotland Efficiency League facet St. Johnstone entered the event within the third spherical. After a strong 1-0 league win versus Livingston final week beneath the watchful eye of recent first-team gaffer Simo Valakari, confidence shall be brewing amongst the squad previous to this cup tie.
Partick Thistle vs. Rangers
Each The Younger Jags and The Gentle Blues are enjoying their first SFA Youth Cup fixture of 2024/25 within the third spherical. The 2 sides did meet in a pleasant while the second-round fixtures had been being performed, with Partick leaving Auchenhowie 4-0 winners.
Mark Wilson’s Thistle facet have an enormous process on their palms in toppling final season’s winners in Rangers. They are going to be aiming to bounce again after a 3-1 loss towards an in-form Greenock Morton facet final week.
The Gers journey to Petershill Park aiming to avenge the pleasant loss solely a matter of weeks in the past. Of their final fixture, they defeated Hearts 1-0 because of a Lewis Stewart strike.
Aberdeen vs. Kilwinning Rangers
Final 12 months’s finalists play host to Kilwinning Rangers – a facet that weren’t even within the competitors final marketing campaign.
The Dons, led by Scott Anderson, enter the event on this spherical and are critical favourites to elevate the silverware aloft at Hampden Park.
The Buffs overcame arch-rivals Irvine Meadow within the earlier spherical to arrange their glamour tie versus Aberdeen. With arguably the highest non-professional youth arrange in all of Ayrshire, based mostly out of the Kilwinning Sports activities Membership facility, Kilwinning shall be viewing this tie as an amazing alternative to make a press release to the remainder of the nation.
Coronary heart of Midlothian vs. Dundee United
The Oriam is the sphere of battle for The Jambos and The Tangerines in an epic SFA Youth Cup Tie.
After being narrowly defeated by final season’s cup winners Rangers final week, Hearts shall be determined to place the sore end result prior to now with a victory over United.
Dundee United had been eradicated from final 12 months’s competitors by the eventual victors within the semi-finals on penalties, highlighting how high quality the margin is between cup glory and heartbreak. The Terrors have had a troublesome begin to life within the league this marketing campaign so a win on this tie could be helpful in lifting the staff’s spirits.
Dunfermline Athletic vs. Hibernian
One other two sides who shall be enjoying their first SFA Youth Cup video games are Dunfermline and Hibs.
Dunfermline have had a good begin to their Efficiency Youth League marketing campaign, incomes some extent towards Dundee final day out.
Darren McGregor’s Younger Hibees are undefeated in league motion – final defeating Celtic in resounding trend with a 4-0 scoreline.
Caledonian Braves vs. St. Mirren
The Braves host The Buddies in an intriguing third-round tie this week – one which is for certain to have loads of objectives.
A convincing 3-0 scoreline within the second spherical for Caledonian Braves versus Camelon Juniors has seen them advance in the direction of this check.
St. Mirren put 5 previous Alloa Athletic final spherical, placing on a present for his or her followers at The SMISA Stadium.
Fraserburgh vs. Dundee
The Broch have drawn themselves a troublesome check as they welcome Dundee to Bellslea Park.
Getting into the competitors within the third spherical, Fraserburgh are a facet who typically options on this prestigious event on a yearly foundation. With arguably the most effective non-professional academy set-up within the Aberdeenshire space, there doubtlessly might be an enormous scalp taken by the house facet on this fixture.
The Dee journey North following a 4-0 victory over Penicuik Athletic. They did overcome Fraserburgh in pre-season motion again in July, so an identical efficiency would be the desired end result for the Efficiency Youth League facet.
Falkirk vs. Airdrieonians
This would be the first cup sport of the marketing campaign for each Falkirk and Airdrie.
Since being revived by Gary Holt again in 2021, Falkirk’s youth academy as an entire has been enhancing 12 months after 12 months. They are going to be hoping for a press release victory beneath the lights on the Falkirk Stadium.
The Diamonds head into the fixture after an emphatic 5-1 league win over Bonnyrigg Rose. They’ve solely misplaced one of their final 4 and goal a cup victory so as to add much more hearth to their sizzling streak.
Queen’s Park vs. Greenock Morton
Morton have a reasonably brief journey to Lochinch to tackle Queen’s Park this spherical.
The final spherical additionally noticed The Spiders drawn at dwelling, through which they dismantled Dunipace 7-0. A defeat final week within the league to Hamilton wants put behind them, which means the Glasgow facet may come out all weapons blazing on this tie.
Greenock Morton noticed off Newtongrange Star 4-0 within the final spherical, resulting in this very evenly-matched contest between two of the nation’s high academies. Within the first spherical, The Ton knocked out Celtic in a really spectacular 2-0 away victory.
Ayr United vs. Dalkeith Thistle
Ayr United entered the event with a house tie versus Dalkeith Thistle. The Sincere Males have been in high quality scoring kind not too long ago, bagging 5 in two video games over Highland opposition in Ross County and Inverness.
Dalkeith are heavy underdogs on this tie however have began the event off by dominantly defeating Linlithgow Rose 3-0 within the earlier stage.
Livingston vs. Turriff United
Livi have had an amazing begin to life within the SFA Youth Cup, crusing previous Bonnyrigg Rose and Hutchison Vale and scoring six within the course of.
They face up towards Aberdeenshire’s Turriff United, who sunk Huntly 5-0 within the second spherical. The lengthy journey to West Lothian shall be an thrilling one for Turra who’ve the possibility to upset a longtime academy facet in Livingston.
Montrose vs. Queen of the South
One other tie through which each groups shall be enjoying their first cup sport of the season is Montrose versus Queen of the South.
CAS Superior Youth League facet Montrose shocked the nation final season by knocking Celtic out of this very competitors. The Gable Endies will vie to recreate a couple of feats of comparable measurement this 12 months, too.
Queen of the South had been quarter-finalists final season, in the end being eradicated by Dundee United. Overcoming the hurdle that’s Montrose at Hyperlinks Park would see them just one spherical away from matching that achievement.
Deveronvale vs. Kilmarnock
Deveronvale are one other SFA Youth Cup mainstay, similar to the aforementioned Fraserburgh, qualifying year-upon-year and constantly highlighting the younger expertise the Banff facet have at their disposal. Within the final spherical, they eradicated Inverness Clachnacuddin.
They go toe-to-toe with Chris Burke’s Kilmarnock, who pushed Aberdeen all the best way in final 12 months’s CAS Elite U18 League though finally completed in second place. This shall be Killie’s first fixture on this 12 months’s SFA Youth Cup.
Auchinleck Talbot vs. Inverurie Loco Works
The sixteenth and remaining SFA Youth Cup third-round tie shall be performed in East Ayrshire when Auchinleck welcomes Inverurie to Beechwood Park.
It was solely three seasons in the past that Talbot reached the quarter-finals of this event – defeating Ayr United, Huntly and Deveronvale on their path.
The Locos make the lengthy journey to the West Coast following on from their magical 7-0 show towards second-round opponents Forres Mechanics.
