Elgin City have been handed a bye to round three of the SPFL Trust Trophy after Saturday’s opponents Dunfermline withdrew from the competition.
The Pars notified the SPFL that they were unable to fulfil the fixture due to an insufficient number of players, caused by members of their squad self-isolating, injured or on international duty.
The @SPFL board has awarded a 3-0 win to @ElginCityFC in this weekend’s SPFL Trust Trophy R2 tie against @officialdafc.
The Pars have informed the SPFL that they will not fulfil the fixture, due to the number of players either self-isolating, injured, or on international duty. pic.twitter.com/we5oT2r8Za
— SPFL Trust (@SPFLTrust) September 2, 2021
Consequently the Black and Whites, who were due to host the tie at Borough Briggs this weekend, have been awarded a 3-0 victory which will mean they will face either Caley Thistle or Buckie Thistle in round three on the weekend of October 9-10.
Elgin had set up the tie by defeating Hibernian B 2-1 last month.
An SPFL statement said: “Consistent with previous announcements in respect of similar issues in the first round of the SPFL Trust Trophy, the SPFL Board confirmed that any club unable or unwilling to field a team in an SPFL Trust Trophy first or second-round tie will forfeit the match on the basis of a 3-0 defeat.
“Accordingly, Elgin City have been awarded a 3-0 win and will play either Inverness Caledonian Thistle or Buckie Thistle in the third round of the competition next month.”