Glentoran kick-start their Tennent’s Irish Cup defence with a home tie to Championship 1 league leaders Ards.
The fifth round matchup will be a welcome distraction from the league for Alan Kernaghan as his side suffered a Boxing Day defeat to rivals Linfield, before ending a miserable festive period with a loss at Stangmore Park to Dungannon Swifts.
Meanwhile, Niall Currie’s men have only tasted one defeat all season and sit top of the pile in the Championship 1 with a seven point lead over second place H&W Welders. They’ll be quietly confident of their chances, with the onus very much on the Irish Cup holders.
After sweeping the December Championship 1 player of the month accolade, striker Danny McKee has been recalled back into the Glentoran squad. The youngster impressed during his successful five month loan spell at Ards, which caught the eye of Kernaghan to earn himself a return to East Belfast. However, McKee is cup-tied and will be unavailable for the Glens.
The teams last clashed in the same stage of the competition last year as Glentoran claimed the spoils with a 2-0 win at the Oval, as McKee and Fra McCaffrey got their names on the score sheet. The Glens, led then by Eddie Patterson, went on to lift the Cup on a wet day in May last year, courtesy of David Scullion’s winner.
However, those conditions are unparalleled with the downpour of rain that has submerged the Oval playing surface over the past week, raising doubts about the tie. But thanks to around the clock work by volunteers, significant progress has been made in clearing the water off the pitch, and Glentoran chairman Stephen Henderson is optimistic the game will go ahead.
Ahead of the match, both managers have bolstered their squads during the January transfer window. Currie has drafted in Ryan Arthurs, Kyle Buckley and David McCullough. While Kernaghan has secured the signatures of Chris Lavery and 2012 NI Football Writers' Player of the Year - Chris Morrow, along with McKee’s recall.
Nathan Webb