2024 Scottish Challenge Cup final

2024 Scottish Challenge Cup final

Event	2023–24 Scottish Challenge Cup
The New Saints Airdrieonians 1 2
Date	24 March 2024
Venue	Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk
Referee	Matthew MacDermid
Attendance	3,191
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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

See also: 2023–24 Scottish Challenge Cup

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

The New Saints

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

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

24 March 2024

16:15 GMT

Final

The New Saints	1–2	Airdrieonians
Clark 12'	Report	McStravick 22' Todorov 67' (pen.)

Falkirk Stadium , Falkirk

Attendance: 3,191

Referee: Matthew MacDermid

The New Saints

Airdrieonians

GK 25 Connor Roberts RB 7 Josh Daniels CB 22 Danny Davies CB 2 Josh Pask LB 3 Chris Marriott CM 19 Ben Clark  74' CM 21 Leo Smith  90' CM 10 Daniel Redmond  74' RW 18 Rory Holden  79' FW 23 Brad Young RW 17 Jordan Williams  78' Substitutes: GK 1 Reece Thompson DF 12 Blaine Hudson DF 26 Jordan Marshall  79' MF 8 Ryan Brobbel  90' MF 14 Dan Williams  74' MF 15 Jared Harlock FW 9 Declan McManus  74' FW 11 Adrian Cieślewicz  78' FW 39 Tom Jones Manager: Craig Harrison

GK 40 Robbie Hemfrey RB 2 Cammy Ballantyne CB 16 Craig Watson CB 6 Callum Fordyce LB 5 Mason Hancock CDM 4 Rhys McCabe  45' RM 28 Gavin Gallagher  54' CM 10 Adam Frizzell LM 21 Charlie Telfer AM 12 Liam McStravick  61' FW 11 Nikolay Todorov  90+3' Substitutes: GK 43 David Hutton DF 3 Aaron Taylor-Sinclair MF 8 Lewis McGregor MF 14 Dean McMaster  45' MF 19 Elliot Dunlop MF 26 Chris Donnell  61' FW 7 Josh O'Connor  54' FW 9 Calum Gallagher  90+3' FW 23 Gabby McGill Manager: Rhys McCabe

Man of the match: Nikolay Todorov (Airdrieonians)

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

Notes

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

References

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. 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.