Queen of the South and East Fife have both made promising starts to the season, but it is the Dumfries club who should be backed to secure maximum points at Palmerston on Saturday and take a step towards qualification to the knockout phase.

These clubs both have a win and a draw under their belts, so a win in this encounter would give them a strong chance of progression.

Queen’s have built from the momentum they gained late last season, matching Premiership side Motherwell in a thrilling 3-3 draw before moving past Elgin 2-0 away from home last Saturday.

East Fife, meanwhile, have also overcome Elgin and edged Queen’s Park in the penalty shootout – but crucially both these matches were at home. The Fifers struggled on the road late last season, winning only one of their last 13 away encounters. A long trip to an in-form full-time side like Queen of the South is, therefore, not a journey they are likely to relish.

There is no recent history between these clubs, with the only match in the last decade a Challenge Cup match in 2018 surprisingly won by the Fife side. Queen’s, though, have invariably been in the higher league than the Methil club since that time, and their additional quality and experience are likely to tell on Tuesday.

With a good new surface at Palmerston and a manager in Marvin Bartley who is determined to treat this competition seriously, look for the hosts to get the job done in midweek.

Kelty Hearts have made an entertaining start to the season, with their two matches producing a sum total of 12 goals, and another high-scoring affair is forecast against Stranraer at New Central Park in midweek.

The home side will deservedly start this encounter as favourites, aided by the fact that they have not played since overcoming FC Edinburgh 5-3 in thrilling circumstances last weekend. The Fife club trailed 3-0 away from home after 20 minutes but fought back impressively, with quicksilver striker Tiwi Daramola impressing with a double as all five goals were scored by summer signings.

While Kelty’s attacking players have settled quickly, their defence is yet to find its feet, with three goals conceded in each of the last two matches they have played.

Stranraer, meanwhile, will be playing their fourth game in the space of 10 days, which will surely cause them fatigue. They are coming off a 2-1 home win over Edinburgh at the weekend, but prior to that, they had been handily beaten by both Ross County and Morton.

Although Stranraer tidied up their defending towards the end of last season, that strength and concentration appear to have been lost in the League Cup, and it would be surprising to see them offer a serious test to Kelty.

Stranraer, meanwhile, do carry a meaningful attacking threat, with Tam Orr and Ben Armour both good summer signings who were on target at the weekend. A lack of other options means that they will probably start in this game, which promises to be one laden with goals.