Tag: County Armagh
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Linfield are big favourites to retain BetMcLean Cup… but Portadown won’t go down quietly
The second of the Irish League’s three senior cup Finals is now upon us – the one that has, in recent years, attracted the biggest crowd of the lot. The NI Football League’s bold call to make the BetMcLean Cup decider a Sunday special, a day of the week when Irish League football has very…
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Why Cliftonville’s latest quest for Irish Cup glory draws so much from success of 1979
Cliftonville are within touching distance of the Irish Cup Final – a sound that sets alarm bells ringing more than anything these days. The Reds’ progression in Ireland’s oldest footballing cup competition, of which they are a founder member and have won eight times but only once since 1909, is akin to an ambitious mountain…
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More than meets the eye behind quartet of Premiership vs Championship Irish Cup ties
The Sports Direct Premiership is on pause for a weekend and the Clearer Water Irish Cup is at the centre of attentions as the top-flight’s leading four each face clashes of a different kind. NI Football League CEO Gerard Lawlor has previously put on record his vision of a so-called ‘weekend of football’ stretching from…
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Rise of future stars like Lewis Barr ensures Crusaders set up nicely for post-Baxter era
It will be a summer of seismic change at Crusaders knowing that two of the club’s all-time greats will depart – but with a new era soon dawning, not all change will come with apprehension. After 19 years, Stephen Baxter will exit the Seaview hotseat as the Crues’ most iconic figure, while one of his…
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In-form Annagh United saving their best for last… and could still make their Play-Off say
The Playr-Fit Championship never disappoints – and twists in the title race weren’t the only piece on the agenda this weekend. At the summit, Dundela succumbed to a heavy defeat that invited those among the chasing pack to close the gap; an opportunity taken gleefully by all three of their closest challengers. A simultaneous 4-0…
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Midweek goal blast across PIL delivers priceless results at both ends of the standings
Of the three Premier Intermediate League encounters to take place during midweek, each carried a potentially priceless significance at both ends of the table. In the division’s promotion hunt and relegation battle, the trio of matches taking place on Tuesday night all produced winners who will reap the rewards of three important points. A battle…
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Top-six face-offs poised to cap off massive week of decision in Championship title race
A highly charged Playr-Fit Championship title race that is too close for comfort took a fresh twist in midweek when Dundela defeated Bangor at Wilgar Park – and the weekend fixture list could be make-or-break as far as promotion challenges and top-half ambitions are concerned. That’s because the top six all face each other in…
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Newry’s fight isn’t over… but they paid penalty for missed chances in key two-game stretch
Newry City were made to pay the penalty at Lakeview Park on Tuesday night, compounding 96 hours or so where opportunity knocked but they failed to make the most of it. A goalless draw with Loughgall, who leapfrogged Coleraine into sixth-place with five rounds of Sports Direct Premiership fixtures left until the split, was a…
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