However, while Sons had home advantage for the draw, they were handed another tough away test in the first round of the cup — this time away against Brechin City.

Two managers who have won the competition but now find themselves out of work, Danny Lennon and Kenny Shiels, were on hand to make the draw with a host of other bosses in attendance, eagerly awaiting their fate. One manager who did not need to wait long was Sons boss Ian Murray as Dumbarton were drawn at Brechin in the second tie out of the hat.

Murray admitted he was disappointed to be handed another away tie, however, he explained Brechin are a team that he is fairly familiar with, he said: “Just like the Petro Fac Training Cup we have been given another away tie and it will be another tough one.

“We play Stranraer the week before and then Raith the week after so we are looking at three away games on the trot now which is a tough ask for any team, so we will maybe have to look at trying to pencil in a friendly at home, although we do have Carlisle at home between the two cup ties.

“I know Ray McKinnon went in there and did very well and just missed out on the play off spot and they were in the play offs the year before against Alloa.

“I used to play with their goalkeeper Graeme Smith and we played them in a friendly last summer so we do know a bit about them but we will try and get them watched the week before and then try and go up and beat them.” Although the team’s main focus this season is to maintain their place in the Championship, Murray is hoping the club can enjoy another cup run this season, he added: “The league is priority in terms of keeping this club in the division again but cup runs are massive for us financially as we saw last season with our good run and we want to get as far as possible.

“I always believe that with the right draw in the cup, at any level, with any team, you have got a little chance of progressing far.

“Last season we were the First Division part time team that showed it can be done.

“Cup runs are huge for the club but it is a really tricky draw for us in the League Cup as is the Stranraer tie as we got our fingers burnt down in Stranraer last year with a 4-2 defeat and the last thing you want to do is start the league campaign on the back of two defeats.” Full first round draw: Queen of the South v Elgin City, Brechin City v Dumbarton, Dunfermline Athletic v Annan Athletic, Queen’s Park v Rangers, Morton v Berwick Rangers, Montrose v Falkirk, Raith Rovers v Forfar Athletic, Albion Rovers v Livingston, Hamilton Academical v Arbroath, East Stirlingshire v Ayr United, Dundee v Peterhead, Clyde v Cowdenbeath, Stranraer v East Fife, Airdrieonians v Stenhousemuir and Alloa Athletic v Stirling Albion.