Irish Cup - Final | Ballymena V Glentoran

G L E N T O R A N J O U R N E Y T O T H E F I N A L

FIFTH ROUND Glentoran’s Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup adventure this season began with a belter of a match. Championship pacesetters Portadown provided the opposition at the Oval in the fifth round tie at the start of January. The game ended 2-2 after extra time before the Glens prevailed on penalties. Portadown’s Lee Bonis opened the scoring before Hrvoje Plum equalised (penalty) in added time. Then the Ports’ Liam McKenna and the Glens’ Jonny Frazer scored in extra time. The shoot-out ended 5-4 with Gavin Peers scoring the decisive penalty. SIXTH ROUND At the beginning of February the Glens faced a potential banana skin when they travelled to face Queen’s University, who famously defeated Linfield in the fifth round of this season’s competition. Robbie McDaid was the hero for the Glens at the Dub as he grabbed a hat-trick in a 3-2 win. Jonah Mitchell and Matty Hughes scored for the Championship side. QUARTER-FINALS In late February FIFA President Gianni Infantino, in town for IFAB’s AGM, was a spectator at the Oval as Glentoran and cup holders Crusaders clashed in the last eight – and he witnessed a ding-dong tussle. McDaid scored the winner once again for the Glens, who fell behind in the first half to a Jamie McGonigle strike. Glentoran skipper Marcus Kane levelled proceedings before McDaid sealed the victory from the spot. The controversial penalty was awarded after a McDaid cross hit the arm of Jarlath O’Rourke in the area. SEMI-FINALS Glentoran navigated a pulsating penalty shootout to reach this season’s Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup final. The Glens won 7-6 on penalties to edge past Cliftonville in a thriller at the National Football Stadium on Monday (27 July). The two teams were locked at 1-1 after 120 minutes-plus. Both goals were scored by Glentoran players. Paddy McClean was unlucky to turn the ball into his own net to give the Reds the lead. Robbie McDaid equalised. In the shootout McDaid, Ruaidhri Donnelly and Joe Crowe scored from the spot before Navid Nasseri, Ciaran O’Connor and Jonny Frazer all hit the net in the sudden death phase. Penalty number nine for the Glens was scored by captain Marcus Kane, however Reds defender Conor McDermott’s effort from the spot was saved by Glens keeper Elliott Morris and that meant the Glens won the shootout 7-6.

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