Arbroath earned a narrow but vital victory to progress in the SPFL Trust Trophy on Tuesday night. A second-half penalty from Reilly was enough to separate the sides and set up a Championship fixture against Ayr United this weekend.
The win provides a welcome boost for a side that sits eighth in the Championship with 11 points from 13 games, having recorded three wins and two draws. Their recent league form had seen them lose four consecutive matches, part of a run of five straight league defeats, conceding 22 goals in total this season while scoring only seven, leaving them with a minus 15 goal difference. They now find themselves 14 points behind the league leaders, Partick.
Reilly delivers from the spot
The decisive moment arrived in the 68th minute when the referee awarded Arbroath a penalty. Reilly stepped up and converted calmly, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to break the deadlock. It was a rare moment of clinical finishing in a match that saw few clear-cut chances for either team.
Arbroath had to withstand late pressure from the visitors, but they held firm to record a first clean sheet in several weeks. The result means they avoid a fifth straight defeat in all competitions, having lost heavily to Raith Rovers just days earlier in a 4-0 defeat. Their recent form across all competitions stands at one win and four losses from their last five outings, following defeats to Livingston, Inverness CT, Morton, and Partick.
Shifting focus to the league
Attention now turns immediately to league business. Arbroath host Ayr United at Gayfield Park on Saturday 7 November, a match that pits eighth against seventh in the standings. A win could see them climb above their opponents and start to close the gap on the teams above them.
She is expected to name a strong side for the visit of Ayr, with the full squad available for selection. The team's top scorer this season is R. Callachan, who has yet to find the net in his one appearance.
The fixture list shows a challenging run ahead, but this cup success offers a platform to build from. Arbroath's next match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday at their Gayfield Park home.
