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St Mirren vs Dunfermline Athletic Predictions & Tips - Goals on the Cards in League Cup Contest

ryan-allan
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Last updated: Thu 23 Jul 2026 17:13
St Mirren and Dunfermline Athletic face off in a crucial League Cup group-stage encounter, with both teams displaying impressive form and high goal-scoring rates. St Mirren boast a perfect record and a strong home advantage, while Dunfermline arrive on the back of a dominant 5-0 win. With both squads likely to field strong lineups and recent matches producing plenty of goals, over 2.5 goals and BTTS are recommended bets. Expect a thrilling contest with much at stake as both clubs fight for qualification.
Ryan Allan 1 hour ago
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  • St Mirren host Championship visitors Dunfermline Athletic
  • Over 2.5 goals tipped in Sunday's match at The SMiSA Stadium
  • Get our St Mirren vs Dunfermline Athletic predictions below
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Neil Lennon, Manager of Dunfermline Athletic (Getty Images)

St Mirren vs Dunfermline Athletic Predictions

St Mirren and Dunfermline Athletic meet in a decisive Group C encounter with qualification on the line.

Both sides have made strong starts to their League Cup campaigns, and Sunday's contest has all the ingredients for an entertaining affair.

Given their recent goalscoring form, I expect at least three goals scored, while I also have a stake on BTTS and over 2.5 goals.

Goals Expected in Paisley


  • St Mirren scored 4 goals per game in their last 4 matches
  • St Mirren have seen over 2.5 goals in 7 of their last 8 matches
  • Dunfermline scored 4 goals per game in their last 2 matches
  • Dunfermline have seen over 2.5 goals in 7 of their last 8 matches

St Mirren Hold the H2H Advantage

St Mirren and Dunfermline Athletic have met on just nine occasions since 2017. St Mirren won five of those games, while Dunfermline picked up two victories. 

St Mirren Continue Perfect League Cup Start

St Mirren come into Sunday's fixture full of confidence after a remarkable 4-3 comeback win against East Kilbride earlier this week.

Trailing 3-0 with an hour played, second-half goals from Eseosa Sule, Ryan Carr, Killian Phillips and Malik Dijksteel secured an incredible 4-3 turnaround at The SMiSA Stadium.

Craig McLeish's side had already recorded back-to-back 4-0 wins against Dumbarton and Cove Rangers, leaving the Premiership outfit with maximum points from their opening three fixtures.

The Buddies have looked particularly dangerous in the final third, scoring exactly four goals in their last four matches, including a 4-2 pre-season friendly win against Arbroath. 

The in-form hosts are now unbeaten in eight games played since the end of last season.

Dunfermline Blast Past Cove

Dunfermline make the trip to Paisley after an emphatic 5-0 victory against Cove Rangers on Tuesday.

Oli Shaw and Andy Todd both helped themselves to braces as the Pars ran out convincing winners at East End Park. 

The Pars have responded well to a surprise 3-0 defeat at East Kilbride in their first fixture, with a 4-1 win against Dumbarton before Tuesday's dominant home success.

Neil Lennon’s men have now won four of their last five fixtures, scoring 14 goals in the process.

The Championship side have shown impressive cup form over the past year, reaching the Scottish Cup final in May before suffering a 3-1 defeat against Celtic.

St Mirren vs Dunfermline Athletic Team News

St Mirren: (4-2-3-1) Jacob Chapman; Marcus Fraser, Jayden Richardson, Alex Gogic, Henry Fieldson; Ryan Carr, Killian Phillips; Malik Dijksteel, Stevie Mallan, Eseosa Sule; Chris Mochrie.

Craig McLeish is likely to make several changes to his first XI this weekend. 

Ryan Carr, Stevie Mallan, Eseosa Sule, Jayden Richardson and Malik Dijksteel could all earn recalls after making impactful substitute appearances against East Kilbride.

McLeish bemoaned his side’s performance in their 4-3 win against East Kilbride earlier this week. 

“Well done for showing the character to come back and win the game, but I don’t think I’ve ever been as angry as that at winning a game at the end of a game.

“Just first half not good enough. Not the levels that we’ve set so far.

“Part of me is probably quite happy that it happened, that we needed a bump in the road or a kick up the backside to see how we reacted from it.”

McLeish praised his players for their response after the break and said the substitutes made a big difference.

“The players’ reaction was fantastic at halftime. Not once did they turn on each other in the second half. They stuck together, they fought, we made changes.

“The boys that came on the pitch gave us spark, gave us energy.”

Dunfermline Athletic: (4-2-3-1) Deniz Mehmet; Aaron Comrie, Sam Fisher, Josh Edwards, Ewan Otoo; Chris Hamilton, Joe Chalmers; Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Matty Todd, Lewis McCann; Craig Wighton.

Neil Lennon is unlikely to make many alterations after his side's convincing win against Cove Rangers.

The former Celtic boss was thrilled with his side’s performance against their League One opponents.

“It was an outstanding performance from everyone, the starting 11 and then the subs that came on,” beamed Lennon after Dunfermline’s 5-0 victory.

“The attitude and the quantity of chances and then the quality of chances were great. Our football was good.

“It’s another big step in the right direction, so I’m thrilled with that.”

Verdict

Both teams come into this fixture in high spirits,  and this looks like one of the standout ties of the final round of group-stage fixtures.

Considering their recent League Cup results, another high-scorer should be on the cards this week. 

I have my first stake on over 2.5 goals, while I also like the BTTS/Over 2.5 goals double. 

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ryan-allan
Ryan Allan

Football Writer • 10+ Years Of Experience, Football Analyst

Ryan is a Barcelona-based football fanatic with several years of experience as a sports writer and statistical analyst. A huge fan of the goal markets, he specialises in BTTS and over 2.5 goal picks from the MLS to the Bundesliga and beyond.

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