COLERAINE continue their BetMcLean Cup involvement as Armagh City are the visitors to The Showgrounds this evening (KO 7:45pm)…
BET MCLEAN CUP SECOND ROUND
Overview:
Coleraine hit the goal trail last Saturday as they emphatically clocked up a 5-1 win against Glenavon at The Showgrounds. A hat-trick from Joel Cooper – added to efforts from Matthew Shevlin and Levi Ives – meant Ruaidhri Higgins’ side remained top of the Premiership table. The Bannsiders recorded an 8-0 victory in the previous round of the competition away at Dollingstown.
Armagh City are plying their trade in the Championship and find themselves second from bottom in the standings. Shea Campbell’s men lost at Institute on Saturday as Joe Moore’s opener was cancelled out by two late goals from the hosts. Armagh reached the second-round of the BetMcLean Cup after claiming the Premiership scalp of Carrick Rangers last time out.
Previous Meetings:
Coleraine and Armagh City met each other in the Irish Cup last season.
- January 4, 2025 (IC) – Coleraine 5 (Jordan own goal ‘7 mins, Boyle ’39 mins, Shevlin ’65 mins, McLaughlin ’87 mins & Spence ’90 mins) Armagh City 0
Manager’s Thoughts:
“We have to use the squad, we are in a really busy period and certain players deserve an opportunity,” Higgins said.
“We’ll definitely freshen it up and give some of our talented, young players an opportunity, as well as those who need a game.
“But we’ll have a really, really strong squad and we want to go deep in this competition.
“Armagh will get our total respect and hopefully we can get ourselves into the next round.”
Officials:
The match referee will be Tony Clarke.
The assistant referees are David Burns and Gavin Hegarty.
Conor Murphy has been selected as the fourth official.
Sponsors:
The mascot this evening is Alan.
The Man of the Match award will be sponsored by Holley Optometrists.
Admission:
Season tickets are NOT valid for the fixture, meaning everyone attending will require matchday tickets for the fixture HERE.
Armagh City fans will need tickets to enter the stadium which can be purchased HERE.
Due to a good crowd expected at The Showgrounds, we encourage both sets of supporters to arrive at the ground in good time HERE.
A reminder that a ‘Pause for Remembrance’ service will take place at 6.30pm 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 12 noon to 9pm.
Our caterers – Phat Events – will be serving food from around 1.30pm.
The McKendry Suite will not be open, although the VIP bar and Viewing Lounge opens its doors from 6.30pm.