MORTON will face Kilmarnock, Albion Rovers, Berwick Rangers and Clyde in the group stage of next season’s Betfred League Cup.

The draw for the first round of the revamped competition was made on BT Sport Europe on Friday night.

And the Ton, who were second seeds, followed Premiership Killie out of the hat in group H and will also face League One Albion Rovers and League Two outfits Berwick and Clyde.

Jim Duffy’s men will play each side once with fixture dates and venues to be confirmed by the SPFL this week.

The Cappielow club faced Albion Rovers in the Scottish Cup last term and hosted Berwick Rangers in both the League Cup and Challenge Cup two seasons ago, winning all three ties.

You have to go back seven years to 2009 for the most recent meetings with Clyde and Kilmarnock, however.

Ton hosted the Bully Wee in March of that year in their fourth and final meeting of their First Division campaign, collecting three points with a 2-0 victory.

But their last clash with Killie ended in disappointment after a 3-1 defeat at Rugby Park in the second round of the League Cup in season 2009-10.

Derek Gaston had revealed his wishlist before the draw, tweeting: “Would be delighted with Kilmarnock, Albion Rovers, Queen’s Park and Edinburgh City in our group.”

The 29-year-old Cappielow keeper was gifted two of his favoured opponents and he revealed his reasoning when the Tele asked for his reaction to the draw.

He said: “I tweeted four preferences for the draw and got two of them — Kilmarnock and Albion Rovers — so I can’t complain.

“I knew with the seedings that we would have definitely gotten one of Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Hamilton or Partick Thistle.

“As I mentioned in an interview with the Telegraph about the play-offs, I haven’t played a competitive game at Kilmarnock before, so that would be somewhere new to play.

“Since I’ve come to Morton we seem to draw Albion Rovers quite a lot: I think we’ve played them four or five times in the last few years, including 
replays.

“But obviously it’s just round the corner from my house, so I’d quite like that to be one of the away games. 

“I wouldn’t even need to take the car — I’d just walk to it!

“The other thing is it’s my old team, so it’d be nice to go back. I spent three good seasons there and endeared myself to the supporters by helping them get promoted.

“It’s a close-knit club. There are about 50 core fans who go to all the away games, so you recognise all the regular faces and tend to know them by name. Since I live here you tend to bump into a few of them when you go to the shops and things like that.

“I’ve not seen any since the draw, but I’ve had a few comments from supporters on Twitter saying it’s nice to see me coming back for a game but hopefully I don’t play well!”

Despite fancying trips to Rugby Park and Cliftonhill, Gaston also has his reasons to prefer facing both sides on home turf.

He explained: “I was actually injured for the game in Coatbridge last season and Grant Adam was in goal.

“Then there was a game against them in my first season at Morton when we drew 1-1 at Cliftonhill when Peter Weatherson scored an equaliser and we got a replay.

“I actually had to come off injured in that game and David Hutton came on in my place, but I played in the replay and we won 3-0.

“Come to think on it, maybe it would be better if we got them at home because I seem to have better luck against them at Cappielow.”

He added: “Our aim is to top the group. 

“There is nothing to say we can’t win a game against Premiership opposition and, with the new format, even a draw and a win on penalties could be important.

“We obviously don’t know if the matches are home or away, and from a personal point of view I’d like to go and play at Rugby Park.

“But in terms of progressing I think getting them at home would give us a better chance. The team comes first so I’ll be hoping for a home tie against Kilmarnock.”