COLERAINE start their Irish Cup campaign this evening as they welcome Crusaders to The Showgrounds (KO 7.45pm)…

CLEARER WATER IRISH CUP FIFTH ROUND

Overview:

Coleraine suffered a losing start to 2026 as they were beaten 3-0 by Larne at Inver Park last Friday night. However, attention has now turned to the Irish Cup as Coleraine eye a first success in the competition since 2018. Ruaidhri Higgins handed debuts to Ben Wylie, Mark Connolly and James Akintunde last week, and could follow suit following the arrival of Mark Coyle from Shelbourne yesterday. In an added boost, Charles Dunne and Dylan Boyle have completed their retrospective bans.

Crusaders are unbeaten in their last three Premiership contests after picking up two wins and a draw. Their last contest against Dungannon yielded all three points as Finley Thorndike and Fraser Bryden got on the scoresheet for Declan Caddell’s side. The Hatchetmen have added Cammy Bruce from Airdrieonians this month, with Jonny James being recalled from his loan spell at H&W Welders.

Previous Meetings:

Coleraine and Crusaders have met each other on two occasions so far in the Sports Direct Premiership this season.

  • September 6, 2025 (SDP) – Crusaders 0 Coleraine 4 (Cooper ’20 mins & ’43 mins, Shevlin ’45+2 mins, McManus ’79 mins)
  • November 29, 2025 (SDP) – Crusaders 0 Coleraine 2 (Glackin ’17 mins & McGonigle ’90+6 mins)

Manager’s Thoughts:

“It’s a brilliant Cup competition and we’re really looking forward to it,” Higgins said.

“I think Crusaders are on their best run of the season at the minute.

“They have seven points from their last nine so we know what to expect. They have some quality young attack-minding players who can hurt you.

“But we need to get back to winning ways ourselves and get over the disappointment of the last couple of weeks as quickly as possible.”

Officials:

The match referee will be Steven Gregg.

The assistant referees are Rachel Greer and David Burns.

Tony Clarke has been selected as the fourth official.

Sponsors:

Chris Gray & Dave McNaughton have kindly agreed to sponsor the match ball.

The mascot this evening is Alfie.

The Man of the Match award will be sponsored by Holley Optometrists.

Admission:

Season tickets are not valid for the fixture, meaning home supporters need to buy matchday tickets HERE.

Crusaders fans will need tickets to enter the stadium which can be purchased HERE.

The game will be streamed live via the BBC Sport NI website and available on the Red Button.

Due to a huge crowd expected at The Showgrounds, we encourage both sets of supporters to arrive at the ground in good time HERE.

As ever, those unable to watch the fixture can follow the latest developments via the club’s official Twitter account (@ColeraineFC).

Around the Ground:

The Club Shop will be open from 12pm to 9pm.

Our caterers – Phat Events – will be serving food from around 6.30pm.

The McKendry Suite will be open from 6pm, with the VIP bar and Viewing Lounge open from 6.30pm.