The 2024 Scottish Challenge Cup final, also known as the SPFL Trust Trophy final for sponsorship reasons, was a football match on 24 March 2024 between the Cymru Premier club The New Saints and the Scottish Championship side Airdrieonians. 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. 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.
Route to the final
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. 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. In the quarter-finals, they overcame Arbroath 4–1 at Park Hall. 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. TNS also entered this match looking to match the world record for consecutive wins in all competitions.
Round Opposition Score Third round Hibernian B (a) 3–0 Fourth round East Fife (h) 2–2 5–4 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. In the next round they played away against Rangers B and progressed after a 4–2 win at Cappielow. They then faced Greenock Morton at Cappielow and won 6–5 on penalties after a 0–0 draw. In the semi-finals they played away at Raith Rovers and progressed to the final after a 1–0 win at Stark's Park.
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 6–5 Semi-final Raith Rovers (a) 1–0
Match details
GK 25 Connor RobertsRB 7 Josh DanielsCB 22 Danny DaviesCB 2 Josh PaskLB 3 Chris Marriott CM 19 Ben Clark CM 21 Leo Smith CM 10 Daniel Redmond RW 18 Rory Holden FW 23 Brad YoungRW 17 Jordan Williams Substitutes:GK 1 Reece ThompsonDF 12 Blaine HudsonDF 26 Jordan Marshall MF 8 Ryan Brobbel MF 14 Dan Williams MF 15 Jared HarlockFW 9 Declan McManus FW 11 Adrian Cieślewicz FW 39 Tom JonesManager: Craig Harrison GK 40 Robbie HemfreyRB 2 Cammy BallantyneCB 16 Craig WatsonCB 6 Callum FordyceLB 5 Mason HancockCDM 4 Rhys McCabe RM 28 Gavin Gallagher CM 10 Adam FrizzellLM 21 Charlie TelferAM 12 Liam McStravick FW 11 Nikolay Todorov Substitutes:GK 43 David HuttonDF 3 Aaron Taylor-SinclairMF 8 Lewis McGregorMF 14 Dean McMaster MF 19 Elliot DunlopMF 26 Chris Donnell FW 7 Josh O'Connor FW 9 Calum Gallagher FW 23 Gabby McGillManager: Rhys McCabeMan 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 TNS are based in Oswestry, England but play in the Welsh Cymru Premier
References