A penalty two minutes from the end of normal time has reshaped the Premier Sports Cup's last-16 draw — and left St Mirren asking the Scottish FA's referees for answers.

Dunfermline's Chris Kane converted from the spot after Marcus Fraser was judged to have fouled Keith Bray inside the box. The decision handed Dunfermline a late equaliser and, with it, the consequence that matters: St Mirren, who had won the group, lost their seeded status for the knockout round. BBC Sport

Both clubs advanced from the same section — St Mirren as group winners, Dunfermline as runners-up. But the manner of the finish changed the landscape. Because St Mirren were not seeded for the last 16, they were drawn away to Rangers. Had they held on against Dunfermline, the seeding picture would have looked different.

The Premier Sports Cup, for the uninitiated, is Scottish football's League Cup — the country's second major knockout trophy, played partly in a group stage before the European teams enter. Group position determines seeding for the knockouts, so a single goal can ripple through the whole bracket.

St Mirren have not stayed quiet about it. The club contacted the Scottish FA's refereeing department to seek clarification on the decisions from that match. Interim manager Craig McLeish, in post since May, had previously raised concerns about the standard of officiating and the tone of social-media criticism directed at players and staff. STV News

The club has since confirmed it is reviewing the matter formally. In a statement, St Mirren said they will "fully assess the notice before determining next steps" and will make no further comment at this time. BBC Sport

That is the careful, procedural language of a club that wants answers but is not looking to fight the draw itself. The penalty stands. The fixture stands. Rangers await.

For St Mirren, the trip to Ibrox — Rangers' home ground, one of the most imposing venues in the Scottish game — is the price of a ninety-minute sequence that turned on one referee's call. For Dunfermline, Kane's cool finish earned a kinder draw and a sense that this could be their year to make a run.

What makes this stand out is how much hinges on a single moment in a competition many fans treat as a warm-up for the league season. One foul, one whistle, one spot-kick — and the shape of the knockout round rewrites itself. St Mirren want to understand it. They will have to live with it either way.