Irish & Welsh teams discover Scottish Challenge Cup opponents

Gus MacPherson's Queen's Park will play Dunfermline in the last 16 of the Scottish Challenge Cup

Crusaders will host Livingston and the New Saints will visit Forfar Athletic in the first cross-border ties of the Scottish Challenge Cup.

Two Northern Irish teams and two from Wales enter the competition at the last-16 stage.

Bala Town welcome Alloa Athletic while Linfield visit Queen of the South.

Hibernian are at home to St Mirren, Dunfermline take on Queen's Park, Falkirk are at Ayr United and Stranraer meet Dundee United.

The ties will be played on 8/9 October.

Crusaders currently lead the Irish Premiership, with Linfield fourth. In Wales, TNS are top of the Premier League while Bala are seventh.

Ayr, Dundee United, Dunfermline, Falkirk, Hibs, Queen of the South and St Mirren are the remaining Scottish Championship sides in the tournament.

Alloa - who have a 100% record in all competitions this season - as well as Livi, Stranraer and Queen's Park are in League One with Forfar in League Two.

Premiership youth teams were involved in the earlier rounds of the Challenge Cup but Celtic under-20s, who were the only colt team to reach the third round, were knocked out by Livingston on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Linfield lost 7-0 to Rangers in a testimonial for Windsor Park midfielder Jamie Mulgrew.

Alloa midfielder Jon Robertson says it is "exciting" to be facing a trip to Wales.

"It put a smile on my face," he said. "It's the unknown, isn't it? It's an exciting prospect in that sense, that both teams will know very little about each other.

"We're going well at the minute and there's a confidence throughout the club that we can keep this run going. Whatever level Bala are at, we're confident they're going to have to be at their best on the day."

Ties

Ayr United v Falkirk

Bala Town v Alloa Athletic

Crusaders v Livingston

Dunfermline Athletic v Queen's Park

Forfar Athletic v The New Saints

Hibernian v St Mirren

Queen of the South v Linfield

Stranraer v Dundee United

Games to be played 8/9 October