St Johnstone crashed out the Premier Sports Cup thanks to East Fife’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser, but Premiership rivals Dundee United squeezed through after Montrose blew their chance at home to Spartans.
Montrose only required a point to progress to the last 16 as Group B winners, but the League 1 side lost 2-0 to visitors from the division below.
St Johnstone needed a win to have at least a chance of progressing as one of the best runners-up but end up finishing third behind Inverness Caledonian Thistle and East Fife, who also fail to make the knock-out stage.
Aberdeen, Ayr United, Kilmarnock, Ross County and Stenhousemuir join United and Caley Thistle as group winners.
Dundee and Partick Thistle also go through as two of three best-placed runners-up.
The final group winner and best runner-up will be decided on Sunday.
St Mirren will win Group C if they avoid defeat at home to Dunfermline Athletic.
If Dunfermline win, they are guaranteed to go through as group winners or runners-up as they would have a better goal difference than Queen’s Park.
