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2024 Scottish Challenge Cup final

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2024 Scottish Challenge Cup final
Event2023–24 Scottish Challenge Cup
Date24 March 2024
VenueFalkirk Stadium, Falkirk
RefereeMatthew MacDermid
Attendance3,191
2023
2025 →

The 2024 Scottish Challenge Cup final, also known as the SPFL Trust Trophy final for sponsorship reasons,[1] was a football match on 24 March 2024 between the Cymru Premier club The New Saints and the Scottish Championship side Airdrieonians.[2] It was the 31st final of the Scottish Challenge Cup since it was first organised in 1990 to celebrate the centenary of the now defunct Scottish Football League, and the ninth since the SPFL was formed. It was played at Falkirk Stadium.[3] It would subsequently be the last Scottish Challenge Cup final to feature a non-Scottish team due to them no longer being invited the following season.[4]

Route to the final

[edit]
The final took place at the Falkirk Stadium (pictured in 2018)

The New Saints

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The New Saints (TNS), as an invited team representing the Cymru Premier, started in the Third Round where they were drawn away at Hibernian B where they won 3–0 at Meadowbank Stadium.[5] In the next round they played East Fife at home. At their Park Hall, TNS progressed after winning 5–4 on penalties after a 2–2 draw.[6] In the quarter-finals, they overcame Arbroath 4–1 at Park Hall.[7] In the semi-finals, they played Falkirk away at Falkirk Stadium. TNS won 1–0 becoming the second Welsh team to reach the final after Connah's Quay Nomads in 2019.[8]A TNS also entered this match looking to match the world record for consecutive wins in all competitions.[3]

Round Opposition Score
Third round Hibernian B (a) 3–0
Fourth round East Fife (h) 2–2 (a.e.t.)
5–4 (p)
Quarter-final Arbroath (h) 4–1
Semi-final Falkirk (a) 1–0

Airdrieonians

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Airdrieonians also started in the Third Round away at the University of Stirling and won 3–2 at Forthbank Stadium.[9] In the next round they played away against Rangers B and progressed after a 4–2 win at Cappielow.[10] They then faced Greenock Morton at Cappielow and won 6–5 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.[11] In the semi-finals they played away at Raith Rovers and progressed to the final after a 1–0 win at Stark's Park.[12]

Round Opposition Score
Third round University of Stirling (a) 3–2
Fourth round Rangers B (a) 4–2
Quarter-final Greenock Morton (a) 0–0 (a.e.t.)
6–5 (p)
Semi-final Raith Rovers (a) 1–0

Match details

[edit]
The New Saints Wales1–2Airdrieonians
  • Clark 12'
Report
Attendance: 3,191
Referee: Matthew MacDermid
The New Saints
Airdrieonians
GK 25 Wales Connor Roberts
RB 7 Republic of Ireland Josh Daniels
CB 22 Wales Danny Davies
CB 2 England Josh Pask
LB 3 Wales Chris Marriott
CM 19 Wales Ben Clark downward-facing red arrow 74'
CM 21 Wales Leo Smith downward-facing red arrow 90'
CM 10 England Daniel Redmond downward-facing red arrow 74'
RW 18 Northern Ireland Rory Holden downward-facing red arrow 79'
FW 23 England Brad Young
RW 17 England Jordan Williams downward-facing red arrow 78'
Substitutes:
GK 1 England Reece Thompson
DF 12 England Blaine Hudson
DF 26 England Jordan Marshall upward-facing green arrow 79'
MF 8 Northern Ireland Ryan Brobbel upward-facing green arrow 90'
MF 14 Wales Dan Williams upward-facing green arrow 74'
MF 15 England Jared Harlock
FW 9 Scotland Declan McManus upward-facing green arrow 74'
FW 11 Poland Adrian Cieślewicz upward-facing green arrow 78'
FW 39 England Tom Jones
Manager:
England Craig Harrison
GK 40 Scotland Robbie Hemfrey
RB 2 Scotland Cammy Ballantyne
CB 16 Scotland Craig Watson
CB 6 Scotland Callum Fordyce
LB 5 England Mason Hancock
CDM 4 Scotland Rhys McCabe downward-facing red arrow 45'
RM 28 Scotland Gavin Gallagher Yellow card downward-facing red arrow 54'
CM 10 Scotland Adam Frizzell
LM 21 Scotland Charlie Telfer
AM 12 Northern Ireland Liam McStravick Yellow card downward-facing red arrow 61'
FW 11 Bulgaria Nikolay Todorov downward-facing red arrow 90+3'
Substitutes:
GK 43 Scotland David Hutton
DF 3 Antigua and Barbuda Aaron Taylor-Sinclair
MF 8 Scotland Lewis McGregor
MF 14 Scotland Dean McMaster upward-facing green arrow 45'
MF 19 Scotland Elliot Dunlop
MF 26 Australia Chris Donnell upward-facing green arrow 61'
FW 7 Scotland Josh O'Connor upward-facing green arrow 54'
FW 9 Scotland Calum Gallagher upward-facing green arrow 90+3'
FW 23 Scotland Gabby McGill
Manager:
Scotland Rhys McCabe

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.

Notes

[edit]
  • ^A TNS are based in Oswestry, England but play in the Welsh Cymru Premier

References

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  1. ^ "Challenge Cup to be rebranded SPFL Trust Trophy from season 2021/22". The Edinburgh Reporter. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ "SPFL TRUST TROPHY FINAL 2023/24". SPFL. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b Irvine, David (22 March 2024). "SPFL Trust Trophy & Al-Hilal world record: Harrison keen to write more TNS history". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Prize money boost for SPFL Trust trophy as cross-border teams drop out". 27 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Hibernian B 0-3 the New Saints". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  6. ^ "The New Saints v East Fife". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Arbroath let down 'gaffer, coaching staff, fans and board of directors' with TNS capitulation, admits stand-in skipper". The Courier. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  8. ^ "TNS beat Falkirk to set up final with Airdrieonians". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Airdrieonians 3-2 Stirling University (9 Sep, 2023) Final Score -". ESPN. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Rangers B v Airdrieonians". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Greenock Morton v Airdrieonians". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Raith Rovers vs. Airdrieonians - 2 February 2024 -". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 March 2024.