COLERAINE and Limavady United renew acquaintances as both teams target a spot in the semi-final of the Irish Cup this afternoon (KO 3pm)… 

CLEARER WATER IRISH CUP QUARTER-FINAL

Overview:

Coleraine slipped down to third in the Sports Direct Premiership table after a 3-1 loss to Dungannon Swifts last weekend. The Bannsiders were punished for a below-par first half, and despite grabbing a goal back through James Akintunde’s effort, they couldn’t complete a comeback. However, attention now turns to the Irish Cup as Ruaidhri Higgins’ men continue their journey that has already saw wins against Crusaders and Carrick Rangers.

Limavady United were involved in midweek action as they were beaten 2-0 at Ards – a result which sees them surrender their lead at the top of the Championship to Annagh United. However, Paul Owens side are still within a shout of promotion to the top-flight and still have to face Strabane Athletic in the final of the North-West Senior Cup. The Roesiders have beaten Lisburn Rangers and Linfield en-route to the last eight.

Previous Meetings:

Coleraine and Limavady United are no strangers to one another after competing twice already this campaign in a pre-season friendly and in the North-West Cup.

  • July 15, 2025 (PSF) – Limavady United 2 (Gaston ’51 mins & Walker ’61 mins); Coleraine 4 (Glackin ’15 mins, McManus ’80 mins & ’88 mins, Patching ’90 mins)
  • October 14, 2025 (NWC) – Limavady United 2 (Kennedy ’45 mins & Parkhill ’61 mins); Coleraine 2 (Brolly ’20 mins & ’64 mins)
    *Limavady United won 12-11 on pens*

Manager’s Thoughts:

“If you had offered Paul the position that they’re in now at the start of the season…an Irish Cup quarter-final and with the brilliant chance of getting promoted, he would have taken it,” Higgins said.

“Although they might have been disappointed with a couple of results recently, they’re in a really, really strong position.

“I have so much respect for the people there and there’s people at that club that I’ve known basically my whole life, but on Saturday, our job is to try and get Coleraine Football Club into a semi-final of an Irish Cup, which would be a brilliant occasion.

“I’m sure there’ll be a big crowd. It’s great to have it here at The Showgrounds but we know how difficult they can be to play against.”

Officials:

The match referee will be Shane Andrews.

The assistant referees are Stephen Bell and Jason Millar.

Mark Dillon has been selected as the fourth official.

Admission:

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

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

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 10am to 5pm.

Our caterers – Phat Events – will be serving food from around 1.30pm.

The McKendry Suite will be open from 11.30am, with the VIP bar and Viewing Lounge open from 1.30pm.