2025 Scottish Challenge Cup final

The 2025 Scottish Challenge Cup final, also known as the SPFL Trust Trophy final for sponsorship reasons,[1] was a football match played on 30 March 2025 between Scottish Championship sides, Livingston and Queen's Park.[2] It was the 32nd 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 tenth since the SPFL was formed. It was played at Falkirk Stadium.[3] Livingston won decisively 5–0.[4]

2025 Scottish Challenge Cup final
Event2024–25 Scottish Challenge Cup
Date30 March 2025
VenueFalkirk Stadium, Falkirk
Attendance4,079
WeatherSunny
2024
2026

Route to the final

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Livingston

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As a 2024–25 Championship club, Livingston received a bye to the third round. The 2025 final was their first Challenge Cup final since 2015, in which they beat Alloa Athletic, and their third overall. Livingston started the tournament away to League Two side, The Spartans,[5] before playing 4-time champions, Inverness Caledonian Thistle from League One, in the Fourth round at home, where despite a shaky second half, held them out on penalties.[6] In the Quarter finals, Livingston drew Greenock Morton who they comfortably beat 2–1 despite a last gasp goal from Austin Samuels for Morton.[7] In the Semi-finals, Livingston were drawn away to Dunfermline Athletic, who they beat 2–0 to progress into the final.[8]

Round Opposition Score
Third round The Spartans (a) 2–0
Fourth round Inverness Caledonian Thistle (h) 2–2 (aet)

5–4 (p)

Quarter-final Greenock Morton (h) 2–1
Semi-final Dunfermline Athletic (a) 2–0

Queen's Park

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Like Livingston, Queen's Park received a bye to the third round. The 2025 final was their first Challenge Cup Final, and their first major cup final in 125 years, the 1899–1900 Scottish Cup final where they lost to Celtic. Queen's Park started their tournament against Edinburgh City from League Two, beating them 1–0, before being drawn away to the borders and League One Annan Athletic who they comfortably dispatched 4–1, before heading back to Lesser Hampden to beat a 10-man Rangers B side, 3–1, in the Quarter-final. In the semis, however, Queen's Park were dragged into extra time after Lowland League side, East Kilbride, held them to a 2–2 draw after 90 minutes, before Queen's Park slotted 4 goals past them without reply to win 6–2 and advance to the final.

Round Opposition Score
Third round Edinburgh City (h) 1–0
Fourth round Annan Athletic (a) 4–1
Quarter-final Rangers B (h) 3–1
Semi-final East Kilbride (h) 6–2 (aet)

Match details

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Queen's Park05Livingston
Report McGowan 26'
May 45'
Yengi 50'
Shinnie 82'
Brandon 90+1'
Attendance: 4,079
Referee: Calum Scott
Queen's Park
Livingston
GK1England Calum Ferrie (c)
RB2Scotland Zach Mauchin
CB12England Ben Jackson
CB15England Will Tizzard downward-facing red arrow 31'
LB33Scotland Adam Montgomery
CM4Scotland Sean Welsh
CM7Scotland Louis Longridge downward-facing red arrow 56'
RW28England Seb Drozd downward-facing red arrow 56'
CAM14Scotland Roddy MacGregor
RW11England Kyle Hurst downward-facing red arrow 56'
FW17Scotland Zak Rudden
Substitutes:
GK21Scotland Jack Willis
DF45Scotland Darryl Carrick upward-facing green arrow 31' downward-facing red arrow 48'
MF20England Jack Turner upward-facing green arrow 56'
MF22Wales Jadan Raymond
MF23Scotland Ryan Duncan upward-facing green arrow 48'
FW29Northern Ireland Reece Evans upward-facing green arrow 56'
FW37Scotland Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia upward-facing green arrow 56'
FW39Scotland Timam Scott
FW46Scotland Aiden McGinlay
Manager:
Scotland Steven MacLean
GK28France Jérôme Prior
RB12Scotland Jamie Brandon (c)
CB5Australia Ryan McGowan
CB27Scotland Danny Wilson
LB26Colombia Cristian Montaño downward-facing red arrow 62'
CM8Scotland Scott Pittman
CM10Scotland Stephen Kelly
CM25Scotland Macaulay Tait downward-facing red arrow 62'
RW23Scotland Robbie Muirhead downward-facing red arrow 76'
ST17Scotland Stevie May downward-facing red arrow 75'
LW9Australia Tete Yengi downward-facing red arrow 83'
Substitutes:
GK14Scotland Jack Hamilton
DF3Northern Ireland Matthew Clarke upward-facing green arrow 62'
DF19Northern Ireland Daniel Finlayson upward-facing green arrow 83'
DF21Saint Kitts and Nevis Michael Nottingham
MF6Scotland Reece McAlear upward-facing green arrow 62'
MF7England Liam Sole
MF15Scotland Lewis Smith upward-facing green arrow 76'
MF22Scotland Andrew Shinnie upward-facing green arrow 75'
FW40Nigeria Samson Lawal
Manager:
Scotland David Martindale

Match rules

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

References

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  1. Hislop, John (2020-10-15). "Challenge Cup to be rebranded SPFL Trust Trophy from season 2021/22". The Edinburgh Reporter. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  2. "SPFL Trust Trophy final details | SPFL". spfl.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  3. "Where and when is the SPFL Trust Trophy final? All you need to know". The Herald. 2025-02-11. Retrieved 2025-02-16.
  4. "Queen's Park vs Livingston: SPFL Trust Trophy final stats & head-to-head". BBC Sport. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  5. "Spartans vs. Livingston - 7 September 2024". Soccerway. 7 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  6. "Livingston vs. Inverness CT - 12 October 2024". Soccerway. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  7. "Livingston vs. Greenock Morton - 12 November 2024". Soccerway. 12 November 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  8. "Dunfermline Athletic vs. Livingston - 5 February 2025". Soccerway. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.