COLERAINE have their eyes set on a Cup final appearance next month as they meet Glentoran in the last four of the BetMcLean Cup this evening (KO 7.45pm)…

BETMCLEAN CUP SEMI-FINAL

Overview:

Coleraine come into the game after winning 2-0 at Bangor in the Premiership last weekend via goals from Matthew Shevlin and Ben Wylie. The three points ensured the Bannsiders remained second in the league standings. In terms of the BetMcLean Cup, Ruaidhri Higgins’ men have reached this stage of the competition after wins against Dollingstown, Armagh City and Moyola Park.

Glentoran were also 2-0 victors at the weekend as they earned all three points away at Dungannon Swifts. Declan Devine’s men have navigated their way past Institute, Crusaders and Cliftonville to reach the last four. The Glens were busy in the January transfer window as Ross Clarke, Ben Gallagher, Jack Malone, Aaron McEneff, Jarlath O’Rourke and Josh Daniels all joined forces at The Oval.

Previous Meetings:

Coleraine and Glentoran have met on two occasions in the Sports Direct Premiership this term.

  • September 19, 2025 (SDP) – Coleraine 1 (Lyons-Foster ‘8 mins); Glentoran 2 (Stewart ’52 mins & ’69 mins)
  • December 19, 2025 (SDP) – Glentoran 2 (Hoban ’82 mins & Russell ’89 mins); Coleraine 1 (Shevlin ’64 mins)

Manager’s Thoughts:

“It is very much a new group and if we could get to a Cup final in our first year, it would be brilliant,” Higgins said.

“There’s a lot of work to do to get there but we have an opportunity.

“Listen, we are not naive. We’ve been around the block as staff and we know that if you ask everybody before a ball is kicked, regardless of what Cup it is, people would like a ‘Big Two’ final.

“I’m sure the powers-that-be would like a ‘Big Two’ Cup final, so we have to do everything in our power to make sure that at the very least they have to fight for that.

“We will be going there trying to get ourselves into a Cup final, which would be special for us.”

Officials:

The match referee will be Steven Gregg.

The assistant referees are Rachel Greer and Ryan Kelsey.

Mark Dillon has been appointed as the fourth official.

Admission:

Coleraine supporters require tickets for the fixture which can be bought HERE.

Supporters are advised that the game will be shown live on NIFL TV HERE.

We would urge supporters to arrive at the ground in good time and respect residents and businesses in terms of parking your vehicle.

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