A David v Goliath encounter will kick off the sixth round action in this season’s Samuel Gelston’s Whiskey Irish Cup this evening (3 February).
Top flight side and cup holders Crusaders are set to take on third tier Bangor at the Bangor Fuels Arena (7.45) – and the game is to be live-streamed on BBC iPlayer and on the BBC Sport NI website (bbc.co.uk/sportni).
The clash near the seaside between the NIFL Premiership team and their NIFL Premier Intermediate League hosts is not the only big fish v small fish battle among the seven other ties being staged tomorrow.
Championship side Harland and Wolff Welders are set to travel to Lurgan to take on top tier outfit Glenavon at Mourneview Park - and they will be hoping to cause an upset.
Premiership team Ballymena United, beaten finalists last season, are also set to face Championship opposition in the form of Newington. The game is being staged at the Showgrounds in Ballymena.
And top flight outfit Dungannon Swifts are on the road to south Belfast where they will take on second tier team Knockbreda.
There’s also one all-Championship tie. Institute will be hosting Ballyclare Comrades at the Brandywell. Ballyclare currently lie sixth in the 12-team league, while Institute are in ninth. However, only three points separate them.
The three other ties in the sixth round of the Samuel Gelston’s Whiskey Irish Cup are mouth-watering all-Premiership affairs.
Inver Park is expected to be packed to the rafters when Larne, currently lying second in the league, host reigning champions Linfield, who are a point behind them in third.
David Healy’s Blues will no doubt be out to exact revenge after Tiernan Lynch’s side defeated them in this season’s Co Antrim Shield decider last month.
Cliftonville, who lead the title race by three points, face the team who currently sit in fourth position, Coleraine. There may be a six-point gap between the two teams in the Premiership just now, but that could count for little when it comes to cup competition.
Portadown may be propping up the Premiership table at the moment, however boss Niall Currie will be expecting his players to rise to the occasion when they host a resurgent Glentoran. The Glens have shown some fine form since Rodney McAree took charge of the team and Northern Ireland international Niall McGinn joined the ranks.
