2015–16 Scottish League Cup

The 2015–16 Scottish League Cup was the 70th season of Scotland's second-most prestigious football knockout competition. It is also known as The Scottish League Cup presented by Utilita for sponsorship reasons.[2]

2015–16 Scottish League Cup
Country Scotland
Dates30 July 2015 – 13 March 2016
Teams42
ChampionsRoss County
Runners-upHibernian
Matches played41
Goals scored141 (3.44 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Liam Boyce
Faissal El Bakhtaoui
Jason Cummings
(4 goals)[1]
All statistics correct as of 13 March 2016.

Ross County defeated Hibernian 2–1 in the final on 13 March.[3]

Format

The competition is a single elimination knock-out competition. In each round, fixtures are determined by random draw, with the first to third rounds seeded according to last season's league positions (higher 50% of finishers drawn v lower 50% of finishers, alternating which is at home with each tie drawn).

Fixtures are played to a finish, with extra time and then penalties used in the event of draws. The competition is open to all clubs in the Scottish Professional Football League. Clubs involved in European competitions are given a bye to the third round to avoid congestion of fixtures.

Qualified teams

The following teams qualified and competed in the 2015–16 Scottish League Cup.

Scottish Premiership teams

There are 12 teams from the 2014–15 Scottish Premiership.

Scottish Championship teams

There are 10 teams from the 2014–15 Scottish Championship.

Scottish League One teams

There are 10 teams from the 2014–15 Scottish League One.

Scottish League Two teams

There are 10 teams from the 2014–15 Scottish League Two.

First round

The first round draw took place on Monday 6 July 2015 at 2:30pm BST at the Hampden Park Stadium. The 30 clubs that participated in the Championship, League One and League Two in the 2014–15 season entered the competition at this stage. The 12 clubs that participated in the 2014–15 Scottish Premiership received a bye.[4]

Draw and Seeding
Pot 1 Pot 2

Scottish Championship:
01. Heart of Midlothian
02. Hibernian
03. Rangers
04. Queen of the South
05. Falkirk
06. Raith Rovers
07. Dumbarton
08. Livingston
09. Alloa Athletic
10. Cowdenbeath

Scottish League One:
11. Greenock Morton
12. Stranraer
13. Forfar Athletic
14. Brechin City
15. Airdrieonians

Scottish League One:
16. Peterhead
17. Dunfermline Athletic
18. Ayr United
19. Stenhousemuir
20. Stirling Albion

Scottish League Two:
21. Albion Rovers
22. Queen's Park
23. Arbroath
24. East Fife
25. Annan Athletic
26. Clyde
27. Elgin City
28. Berwick Rangers
29. East Stirlingshire
30. Montrose

Matches
30 July 2015 Heart of Midlothian 4–2ArbroathEdinburgh
19:45 McGhee  57'
Sow  60', 61' (pen.)
Wilson  90' (o.g.)		 BBC Sport Report Gold  40'
Grehan  85'		 Stadium: Tynecastle Stadium
Attendance: 6,240
Referee: Alan Muir
31 July 2015 Falkirk 5–0East StirlingshireCumbernauld
19:45 Muirhead  17'
Baird  57'
Vidler  68' (o.g.)
McHugh  70'
Alston  78'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Broadwood Stadium
Attendance: 881
Referee: Salmond
1 August 2015 Berwick Rangers 3–2 (a.e.t.)Alloa AthleticBerwick-upon-Tweed
15:00 Lavery  56'
Morris  77'
Banjo  97'		 BBC Sport Report Flannigan  6', 21' Stadium: Shielfield Park
Attendance: 405
Referee: Charleston
1 August 2015 Stirling Albion0–1 Airdrieonians Stirling
15:00 BBC Sport Report Morton  41' Stadium: Forthbank Stadium
Attendance: 799
Referee: Roncone
1 August 2015 Raith Rovers 3–0Albion RoversKirkcaldy
15:00 Vaughan  16' (pen.)
Benedictus  38'
McKeown  54'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Stark's Park
Attendance: 1,163
Referee: Walsh
1 August 2015 Annan Athletic3–4 (a.e.t.) Queen of the South Annan
15:00 Osadolor  59'
Weatherson  63', 72'
Black  93' 
Omar  118'		 BBC Sport Report Conroy  42'
Lyle  65', 100'
Hilson  90'		 Stadium: Galabank
Attendance: 1,359
Referee: Graham
1 August 2015 Livingston 1–0 (a.e.t.)ClydeLivingston
15:00 White  110' BBC Sport Report Stadium: Almondvale Stadium
Attendance: 664
Referee: John McKendrick
1 August 2015 Dunfermline Athletic 5–1CowdenbeathDunfermline
15:00 El Bakhtaoui  49', 90'
Byrne  56', 78'
Wallace  74' (pen.)		 BBC Sport Report Hughes  58'
Andrews  72'		 Stadium: East End Park
Attendance: 2,756
Referee: Salmond
1 August 2015 Hibernian 3–0MontroseEdinburgh
15:00 Martin  33'
Allan  71'
Cummings  82'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Easter Road
Attendance: 5,933
Referee: Beaton
1 August 2015 East Fife 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)		DumbartonMethil
15:00 Austin  48' BBC Sport Report Cawley  65' Stadium: Bayview Stadium
Attendance: 461
Referee: Kirkland
Penalties
1 August 2015 Greenock Morton 5–0Elgin CityGreenock
15:00 McCluskey  48'
Johnstone  68'
Scullion  70', 83'
Forbes  74' (pen.)		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Cappielow
Attendance: 1,052
Referee: Cook
1 August 2015 Queen's Park0–2 Forfar Athletic Glasgow
15:00 BBC Sport Report Young  16'
Denholm  29'		 Stadium: Hampden Park
Attendance: 441
Referee: Duncan
1 August 2015 Stranraer 2–0StenhousemuirStranraer
15:00 Malcolm  15', 90' BBC Sport Report Stadium: Stair Park
Attendance: 345
Referee: Robertson
1 August 2015 Ayr United 2–0Brechin CityAyr
15:00 McLauchlan  12'
Boyle  64'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Somerset Park
Attendance: 976
Referee: Anderson
2 August 2015 Rangers 3–0PeterheadGlasgow
15:00 Templeton  41'
Miller  76'
Tavernier  82'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Ibrox Stadium
Attendance: 25,608
Referee: Aitken

Second round

The second round draw took place on Monday 3 August 2015 at 2:30pm BST at the Hampden Park Stadium. The clubs that finished in the bottom 7 places of last season's Premiership entered at this stage joining the 15 first round winners.[5]

Draw and Seeding
Pot 1 Pot 2

Scottish Premiership:
01. Dundee
02. Hamilton Academical
03. Partick Thistle
04. Ross County
05. Kilmarnock
06. Motherwell
07. St Mirren

Scottish Championship:
08. Heart of Midlothian
09. Hibernian
10. Rangers
11. Queen of the South

Scottish Championship:
12. Falkirk
13. Raith Rovers
14. Livingston

Scottish League One:
15. Greenock Morton
16. Stranraer
17. Forfar Athletic
18. Airdrieonians
19. Dunfermline Athletic
20. Ayr United

Scottish League Two:
21. East Fife
22. Berwick Rangers

Matches
25 August 2015 Ross County 2–0Ayr UnitedDingwall
19:45 Boyce  3'
Gardyne  50'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Global Energy Stadium
Attendance: 1,743
Referee: Charleston
25 August 2015 Forfar Athletic1–2 (a.e.t.) Heart of Midlothian Forfar
19:45 Dunlop  84'
Denholm  90+1' 
Nichol  120+1'		 BBC Sport Report McHattie  74'
Paterson  107'		 Stadium: Station Park
Attendance: 1,844
Referee: Aitken
25 August 2015 Kilmarnock 4–1Berwick RangersKilmarnock
19:45 Boyd  16' (pen.)
McKenzie  70'
Slater  77'
Higginbotham  90'		 BBC Sport Report Lavery  55' Stadium: Rugby Park
Attendance: McKendrick
Referee: 1,484
25 August 2015 Raith Rovers 2–1Hamilton AcademicalKirkcaldy
19:45 Davidson  3'
Benedictus  81'		 BBC Sport Report Nadé  66' Stadium: Stark's Park
Attendance: Roberston
Referee: 1,470
25 August 2015 Queen of the South0–1 Greenock Morton Dumfries
19:45 BBC Sport Report Forbes  69' Stadium: Palmerston Park
Attendance: 1,034
Referee: Dallas
25 August 2015 Dunfermline Athletic 3–1DundeeDunfermline
19:45 El Bakhtaoui  11', 90+4'
Cardle  86'		 BBC Sport Rerport Hemmings  48' Stadium: East End Park
Attendance: 3,806
Referee: Finnie
25 August 2015 Partick Thistle0–1 Falkirk Glasgow
19:45 BBC Sport Report Grant  32' Stadium: Firhill Stadium
Attendance: 2,221
Referee: Thomson
25 August 2015 East Fife1–3 (a.e.t.) Motherwell Methil
19:45 Austin  60' BBC Sport Report Moult  80'
McDonald  103'
Ainsworth  107'		 Stadium: Bayview Stadium
Attendance: 1,158
Referee: Cook
25 August 2015 St Mirren2–3 Livingston Paisley
19:45 Gallagher  16'
Mallan  45'		 BBC Sport Report Buchanan  41'
Mullen  45'  90+1' 
Gallagher  84'		 Stadium: St Mirren Park
Attendance: 1,568
Referee: Colvin
26 August 2015 Hibernian 1–0StranraerEdinburgh
19:45 Rumsby  54' (o.g.) BBC Sport Report Stadium: Easter Road
Attendance: 5,224
Referee: Clancy
26 August 2015 Airdrieonians0–5 Rangers Airdrie
19:45 BBC Sport Report Clark  5'
Halliday  14'
Waghorn  15'
Shiels  84'
Tavernier  88'		 Stadium: Excelsior Stadium
Attendance: 7,006
Referee: Anderson

Third round

The third round draw took place on Thursday 27 August 2015 at 2:30pm BST at the Hampden Park Stadium. The 4 clubs that participated in the 2014–15 Scottish Premiership season and qualified for European competition entered the competition at this stage along with Dundee United, the highest placed non-Europe qualifying side.[6]

Draw and Seeding
Pot 1 Pot 2

Scottish Premiership:
01. Celtic
02. Aberdeen
03. Inverness Caledonian Thistle
04. St Johnstone
05. Dundee United
06. Ross County
07. Kilmarnock
08. Motherwell

Scottish Championship:
09. Heart of Midlothian
10. Hibernian
11. Rangers
12. Falkirk
13. Raith Rovers
14. Livingston

Scottish League One:
15. Greenock Morton
16. Dunfermline Athletic

Matches
22 September 2015 Dundee United 3–1 (a.e.t.)Dunfermline AthleticDundee
19:45 Morris  35'
Fraser  96'
Spittal  99'		 BBC Sport Report Paton  10' Stadium: Tannadice Park
Attendance: 5,174
Referee: Beaton
22 September 2015 Livingston0–2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Livingston
19:45 BBC Sport Report Storey  12'
Devine  43'		 Stadium: Tony Macaroni Arena
Attendance: 644
Referee: Muir
22 September 2015 Greenock Morton 3–2 (a.e.t.)MotherwellGreenock
19:45 Samuel  11', 100'
Tidser  112'		 BBC Sport Report McDonald  90+1'
Moult  116'		 Stadium: Cappielow
Attendance: 2,539
Referee: Aitken
22 September 2015 Rangers1–3 St Johnstone Glasgow
19:15 Tavernier  62' BBC Sport Report Davidson  19'
Lappin  29'
O'Halloran  46'		 Stadium: Ibrox Stadium
Attendance: 27,094
Referee: Clancy
22 September 2015 Ross County 7–0FalkirkDingwall
19:45 Boyce  30', 35', 40'
De Vita  46'
Franks  54'
Graham  58'
Holden  81'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Global Energy Stadium
Attendance: 1,341
Referee: Finnie
23 September 2015 Celtic 2–0Raith RoversGlasgow
19:45 Commons  32'
Johansen  87'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Celtic Park
Attendance: 13,591
Referee: McKendrick
23 September 2015 Hibernian 2–0AberdeenEdinburgh
19:45 Cummings  82'
Malonga  88'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Easter Road
Attendance: 11,092
Referee: McLean
23 September 2015 Kilmarnock2–3 Heart of Midlothian Kilmarnock
19:45 Magennis  13', 80' BBC Sport Report Ozturk  74'
Juanma Delgado  90'
Nicholson  90'		 Stadium: Rugby Park
Attendance: 3,249
Referee: Thomson

Quarter-Finals

Draw and Seeding

The quarter-final draw took place on Monday 28 September 2015 at 2:30pm at Hampden Park, all teams were placed in the same pot.[7]

Pot 1

Scottish Premiership:
01. Celtic
02. Inverness Caledonian Thistle
03. St Johnstone
04. Dundee United
05. Ross County
06. Heart of Midlothian

Scottish Championship:
07. Hibernian

Scottish League One:
08. Greenock Morton

Matches
27 October 2015 Inverness Caledonian Thistle (1)1–2 Ross County (1) Inverness
19:05 Tansey  78' BBC Sport Report Irvine  41'
Gardyne  48'		 Stadium: Caledonian Stadium
Attendance: 3,004
Referee: McLean
27 October 2015 Greenock Morton (3)1–3 St Johnstone (1) Greenock
19:45 Johnstone  52' BBC Sport Report MacLean  61' (pen.)
O'Halloran  63'
Kane  83'		 Stadium: Cappielow
Attendance: 2,433
Referee: Thomson
28 October 2015 Heart of Midlothian (1)1–2 Celtic (1) Edinburgh
19:45 Djoum  90' BBC Sport Report Griffiths  71'
Rogić  82'		 Stadium: Tynecastle Stadium
Attendance: 11,598
Referee: John Beaton
4 November 2015 Hibernian (2) 3–0Dundee United (1)Edinburgh
19:45 Gray  20'
Cummings  61' (pen.)
Stevenson  90'		 BBC Sport Report Stadium: Easter Road
Attendance: 11,891
Referee: Willie Collum

Semi-Finals

Draw and seeding

The semi-final draw took place on Monday 9 November 2015 at 2:00pm at Hampden Park, all teams were placed in the same pot.[8]

Pot 1

Scottish Premiership:
01. Celtic
02. St Johnstone
03. Ross County

Scottish Championship:
04. Hibernian

Matches
30 January 2016 Hibernian (2) 2–1St Johnstone (1)Edinburgh
15:00 Cummings  29' (pen.)
McGinn  74'		 BBC Sport Report Shaughnessy  33' Stadium: Tynecastle Stadium
Attendance: 16,971
Referee: McLean
31 January 2016 Ross County (1) 3–1Celtic (1)Glasgow
15:00 M. Woods  15' (pen.)
Quinn  48'
Schalk  63'		 BBC Sport Report Mackay-Steven  1'
Ambrose  13'		 Stadium: Hampden Park
Attendance: 22,130
Referee: Thomson

Final
Main article: 2016 Scottish League Cup Final (March)
Hibernian1–2Ross County
Fontaine  45' BBC Sport Report Gardyne  25'
Schalk  90'
Attendance: 38,296
Referee: Kevin Clancy

Statistics

Top goalscorers
As of matches played on 13 March 2016[1]
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Liam Boyce Ross County 4
Jason Cummings Hibernian
Faissal El Bakhtaoui Dunfermline Athletic
4 Michael Gardyne Ross County 3
James Tavernier Rangers
5 18 players 2

References
  1. "2015–16 Scottish League Cup scorers". ESPN. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  2. "Scottish League Cup: Energy firm Utilita agree sponsorship deal". BBC Sport. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  3. "Alex Schalk hands Ross County fairytale finish over Hibernian". The Guardian. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  4. http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/league-cup-r1-draw-details/
  5. http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/league-cup-second-round-draw-29/
  6. "League Cup third-round draw details". Scottish Professional Football League. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  7. "League Cup quarter-final draw". Scottish Professional Football League. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  8. "League Cup semi-final draw". Scottish Professional Football League. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
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