After navigating a potentially tricky Irish Cup quarter-final against spirited Ballyclare Comrades in a professional manner, Glentoran are marching on in the Irish Cup and hungry to win it.
As the only one of the remaining quartet in the tournament whose Sports Direct Premiership title chances are realistically dead and buried, it’s significant for the east Belfast club towards the tail end of the campaign that they pursue glory in this competition as best they can.
Warren Feeney’s Glens, who lost the County Antrim Shield Final to Larne back in January, are within one game of another showpiece – but, like the rest of the semi-finalists, victory needs to come the hard way.
They haven’t faced a Premiership rival in the Irish Cup yet, defeating the Comrades (2-0) and Annagh United (1-0) of the Playr-Fit Championship and the Premier Intermediate League’s Ballymacash Rangers (6-1) throughout their three rounds to date, but that will change in the last-four when they jostle with their eternal rivals.
Former Linfield boss Feeney must navigate the challenge of David Healy’s Blues to harbour hope of booking their spot in the showpiece and repeating what they did in 2020, clinching the Irish Cup for their first – and so far only – senior men’s honour since Ali Pour’s takeover at The BetMcLean Oval in 2019.
Covid-19 caused major disruption that year, of course, as a limited crowd of just 500 watched Mick McDermott’s side get the better of Ballymena United in July.
Robbie McDaid, who is now of Linfield although unfortunately dogged by injury since breaching the capital divide, scored a 115th-minute winner, the game having gone to extra-time following Cathair Friel’s cancellation of Paul O’Neill’s first-half opener for the Glens.
It feels a lot longer ago than it is and, as such, the feeling in hindsight of a 23rd success in Ireland’s oldest footballing cup competition is less to dwell and more to add to it further.
With Glentoran all but certain to navigate the European play-offs should they fail to record victory in this setting – that’s how they secured continental football under Rodney McAree last year, but it is a nervous process – it’d also likely allow Feeney a luxury to plan ahead, if he’s given the chance to.
The Oval chief has struggled to win over the supporters; understandable, perhaps, given his background in blue, but the frustration of being on the title periphery has played a part too.
With David Fisher and Charlie Lindsay hitting the target against Stephen Small’s Ballyclare, who are seventh in the second-tier, Feeney can alleviate the strain with a trophy as well as provide the club with an automatic gateway into Europe.
They’re a full 23 points behind their Big Two adversaries – far too big a chasm for Glentoran to take any sort of pride in – but having romped to a 4-0 triumph over their old enemy back in December, albeit losing the other three meetings in 2023/24, they know they have what it takes to deliver something special when required.
It’s an old cliché, but cup encounters are truly one-offs away from the run of the mill of the league. The Glens must adopt that mindset and produce their best to topple Healy’s men.
After all, you can’t say they don’t know what’s at stake.
Featured image from Glentoran FC Media.
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