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SPFL Trust Trophy: 2023/24 draw sends Aberdeen colts to Brora Rangers in first round for FOURTH successive edition of tournament

North sides who compete in the competition informally known as the Challenge Cup have discovered their draws for the first and second round.

By Ryan Cryle

July 4 2023, 1:41 pm

The SPFL Trust Trophy. Image: SNS.

Aberdeen’s B team will head to Brora Rangers in the SPFL Trust Trophy – with the sides drawn together in the first round of the Challenge Cup for the FOURTH edition on the bounce.

Last term, Highland League Brora ran out 2-0 winners at Dudgeon Park thanks to goals from Jordan MacRae and Andy Macrae.

The season prior, the Dons colts won 1-0 at the same venue, with Michael Ruth’s goal kick-starting a run in the competition which saw the young Reds knock out Championship Arbroath on penalties before losing out in the third round to Hamilton Accies.

Early in the 2019/20 campaign, Brora routed Aberdeen B 6-0 in Sutherland.

The draw for the first and second round of the 2023/24 SPFL Trust Trophy was held at Hampden on Tuesday, with both rounds split into regionalised north and south sections.

Elsewhere in the north section of the first round – with the ties to be played on Tuesday, August 1 or Wednesday, August 2 – League Two Elgin City will take on Premiership St Johnstone’s colts team.

Highland League winners Brechin City welcome Hearts B, while runners-up Buckie Thistle head to Dundee B, and Hibernian B will host Formartine United,

Last term, both Brechin and Buckie made it to the third stage of the tournament, with City landing a plum tie at Championship Caley Thistle and the Jags taking on Northern Irish outfit Linfield at Victoria Park.

If they are to scale those heights again, they will not only need to come through their first round matches, but also navigate through the second stage.

The second round – to be played on Tuesday, August 15 or Wednesday, August 16 – will see now-League Two Peterhead enter the competition and play the winner of Brora v Aberdeen B.

Hamilton won the 2022/23 edition of the SPFL Trust Trophy.