Irn Bru (Challenge) Cup 18-19

The Scottish Challenge Cup, known as the Irn Bru Cup for sponsorship purposes, is a competition traditionally for the clubs outwith the top division of Scottish Professional football.

It was initiated as an annual competition in 1991 following a successful one-off Centenary Cup, which was contested to commemorate 100 years of the Scottish Football League.

The format changed little for the first 25 years of the competition, though north-east and south-west regionalisation has become a feature in recent years.  Highland and Lowland League champions have also been invited to take part.

2016-17 saw controversial and radical change, with the addition of the U20 teams of Premiership clubs, invited Northern Irish and Welsh clubs and three more clubs from each of the Lowland and Highland Leagues.  Last season, two League of Ireland representatives were added, and two English ‘National League’ clubs will enter for the first time this year – Sutton United and Boreham Wood.

Inverness Caley Thistle are the current holders.

2018-19 COMPETITION (2016-17, 2017-18)

Preliminary Round

  • BSC Glasgow 0-1 East Stirlingshire (Jul 29) – att 142
  • Inverurie Loco Works 2-2(5-4p) Fraserburgh (Aug 1) – att 399

First Round (Aug 14 unless stated)

North Section

  • Alloa Athletic 3-1 Stirling Albion – att 332
  • Cowdenbeath 1-3 East Fife – att 261
  • Dundee U20 2-2(4-3p) Hibernian U21 – att 191
  • Heart of Midlothian U21 1-2 Ross County – att 344
  • Inverness Caley Thistle 1-2 Dunfermline Athletic – att 1046
  • Inverurie Loco Works 0-1 Formartine United – att 399
  • Livingston U21 A-A(1-0) Forfar Athletic – att 150est – abandoned 71 mins due to powercut / poor light
    • Replay – Livingston U21 0-0(5-4p) Forfar Athletic (Aug 21) – att 460
  • Peterhead 2-1 Brechin City – att 496
  • Raith Rovers 3-1 Aberdeen U21 – att 479
  • Cove Rangers 2-2(3-4p) Montrose (Aug 15)– att 420 
  • Dundee United 3-2 St Johnstone U21 (Aug 15) – att 700  
  • Elgin City 1-1(6-7p) Arbroath (Aug 15) – att 401

South Section

  • Annan Athletic 4-0 Celtic U21 – att 266
  • Berwick Rangers 0-3 Airdrieonians – att 317
  • East Stirlingshire 0-3 Motherwell U21 – att 150
  • Dumbarton – Greenock Morton – att 680
  • Edinburgh City 3-1 Albion Rovers – att 182
  • Hamilton Academical U21 4-1 Clyde – att 297
  • Kilmarnock U21 1-2 St Mirren U21 – att 208
  • Queen’s Park 0-0(4-2p) Ayr United – att 834
  • Rangers U21 1-2 Falkirk (@ Forthbank Stadium) – att 636
  • Stenhousemuir 0-3 Queen of the South – att 387
  • Stranraer 0-3 Partick Thistle – att 480
  • East Kilbride 1-1(5-4p) Spartans (Aug 15) – att 207

Second Round (Sept 8 unless stated)

  • Dundee U21 1-2 Motherwell U21– att 208
  • Airdrieonians 0-1 Sutton United (Eng) – att 831
  • Arbroath 3-0 Annan Athletic – att 524
  • Boreham Wood (Eng) 0-0(5-6p) Dunfermline Athletic– att 1001
  • Coleraine (NI) 1-1(2-1p) Formartine United – att 973
  • Dumbarton 0-1 Montrose – att 456
  • Dundee United 1-1(4-5p) Alloa Athletic – att 1040
  • East Fife 2-1 Partick Thistle – att 932
  • East Kilbride 2-3 Edinburgh City – att 287
  • Falkirk 0-1 Connah’s Quay Nomads (Wal) – att 1637
  • Peterhead 0-1 Bohemians (RoI) – att 713
  • Queen of the South 4-3 Crusaders (NI) – att 1204
  • Ross County 5-0 Raith Rovers – att 790
  • St Mirren U21 3-2 Hamilton Accies U21 – att 316
  • Sligo Rovers (RoI) 4-1 Livingston U21
  • The New Saints (Wal) 2-2(2-4p) Queen’s Park – S4C – att 278

Third Round (Oct 13)

  • Arbroath 1-4 Edinburgh City (Oct 12) – BBC Alba – att 506
  • Bohemians (RoI) 0-0(4-3p) Sutton United (Eng) – att 1130
  • Connah’s Quay Nomads (Wal) 2-0 Coleraine (NI) – S4C – att 624
  • Dunfermline Athletic 2-2(4-5p) Alloa Athletic – att 1469
  • East Fife 2-0 Queen of the South – att 579
  • Motherwell U21 2-0 Sligo Rovers (RoI) – att 950
  • Ross County 3-1 Montrose – att 1122
  • St Mirren U21 2-4 Queen’s Park – att 507

Quarter Finals (Nov 17)

  • Queen’s Park 1-2 Connah’s Quay Nomads (Wal) (Nov 16) – BBC Alba
  • Edinburgh City 2-2(4-3p) Alloa Athletic
  • Motherwell U21 1-2 Ross County
  • Bohemians (RoI) scr-wo East Fife (post Feb 2 then Bohemians forfeited tie)

Semi Finals 

  • Ross County 2-1 East Fife (Feb 15)
  • Connah’s Quay Nomads (Wal) 1-1(5-4p) Edinburgh City (Feb 16)

Final (Mar 23)

  • Connah’s Quay Nomads (Wal) 1-3 Ross County (@ Caledonian Stadium, Inverness)