Glentoran are the latest team to book a place in the sixth round of this season’s Clearer Water Irish Cup.
They defeated Strabane Athletic at The Oval last night to set up a round six game against Amateur League Premier Division side Drumaness Mills.
Seven of the 16 ties in the fifth round of the competition were called off on Saturday 10 January due to frozen pitches – and they were subsequently rescheduled.
Four of those rescheduled games took place last week, with Portadown, Glenavon, Warrenpoint Town and Institute securing places in the next round.
Unfortunately the weather wreaked havoc again among the three remaining ties that were due to be staged yesterday evening.
Only the game between NIFL Premiership side Glentoran and Strabane Athletic from the NIFL Premier Intermediate League went ahead. The Ballymena United v Larne and Loughgall v Knockbreda R5 ties were postponed once again following pitch inspections. The pitches were deemed unplayable following heavy and persistent rain.
At The Oval last night Glentoran opened the scoring on 21 minutes through Jordan Stewart, who swept home a drilled Danny Amos cross from 12 yards.
Niall McGinley clipped an effort inches past the post for the visitors before Pat Hoban doubled Glentoran’s lead five minutes into added time at the end of the first half.
In the 63rd minute Strabane goalkeeper Shane O'Gara pushed away a Stewart snapshot, however Hoban was on hand to tuck home the rebound.
The winner for the Glens was scored on 78 minutes. Amos delivered a corner into the danger zone and defender Michael-John Kamara powerfully headed the ball into the net to make it 4-0.
The R5 tie between NIFL Championship side Loughgall and Knockbreda from the NIFL PIL will now be played next Tuesday (27 January) at Loughgall’s Lakeview Park (7.45pm kick-off).
And the all-Premiership fifth round clash between Ballymena United and Larne is set to be played on Tuesday 3 February at Ballymena Showgrounds (7.45pm).
The revised sixth round fixture list is as follows:
Carrick Rangers v Coleraine
Cliftonville v Glenavon
Loughgall or Knockbreda v Institute
Limavady United v Linfield
Warrenpoint Town v Ballymena United or Larne
H&W Welders v Ballymacash Rangers
Portadown v Dungannon Swifts
Glentoran v Drumaness Mills
The eight ties are due to be played on the weekend of Friday 6/Saturday 7 February.
The tie between Limavady United and Linfield will be the livestreamed game in the sixth round. BBC Sport NI is set to stream the match on 6 February (7.45pm kick-off).
Image: Pat Hoban scored twice for Glentoran last night as they defeated Strabane Athletic in the Clearer Water Irish Cup fifth round.
