Arbroath will try to use the Challenge Cup as a route out of their league troubles when they host Queen of the South in the Round of 32 on Tuesday. The match at Gayfield Park, kicking off at 7:45pm, offers a break from a difficult Championship campaign where the side has lost its last five games, a run of zero wins and zero draws from their last five league outings.
Their most recent outing was a heavy 4-0 home defeat to Raith Rovers on Saturday. That result left Arbroath 8th in the table with 11 points from 13 matches, having recorded three wins and two draws from those games. They are 14 points behind leaders Partick. They have scored just seven league goals all season while conceding 22, giving them a goal difference of negative fifteen.
Recent struggles
That lineup included goalkeeper A. McAdams, defenders S. Stewart, T. O'Brien, C. Dewar and B. Paterson, with S. Constable, R. Flynn, J. MacIntyre, D. Reid, R. Dow and G. Reilly in midfield and attack. The consecutive losses to Livingston, Inverness CT, Morton and Partick before the Raith game have created a clear need for a positive result. The sequence of defeats began with a 3-0 loss at Partick on Saturday 3 October, followed by a 1-2 home defeat to Morton on Saturday 10 October, a 2-0 loss at Inverness CT on Saturday 17 October, and a 1-0 defeat at Livingston on Saturday 24 October. Their top scorer this season is R. Callachan, who has yet to score in his one appearance.
Queen of the South, from League One, also arrive after a heavy defeat, a 7-1 loss to Ross County on October 17. Their recent form is mixed, with wins over Alloa Athletic and Peterhead but losses to East Fife and Berwick Rangers. The last three meetings between these sides have all gone Arbroath's way, including a 2-1 win at Gayfield in December 2024 and a 3-0 victory in February 2025.
What comes next
A cup run could provide vital momentum ahead of a return to league action at home to Ayr United on Saturday 7 November. Ayr United currently sit 7th in the table. For Arbroath, the immediate task is to stop the rot and advance in a competition that represents their most realistic chance of silverware this season.
