IT’S down to the last 16 in the McComb’s Coach Travel Intermediate Cup on Saturday with North Belfast sides Newington and Crumlin Star both eyeing a place in the quarter-final draw.
Newington face a trip to Clandeboye Park (k.o. 3pm) where they will take on a Bangor side that claimed a 3-2 league victory over them at Solitude a fortnight back.
The Ton have enjoyed a good run to this stage of the competition and they impressed in a 3-1 win over Linfield Swifts last time out, having defeated the same opposition in the Steel & Sons Cup final. Bangor beat Comber Rec 1-0 in the last round.
The game on Saturday will see Newington seek to put Bangor out of the cup and also beat them on their home turf – and that's go a long way to easing the pain of the recent loss at Solitude.
Newington Manager Paul Hamilton said the team is fighting fit and as they hadn’t played a game for a week, the squad have been using the time to get some much-needed rest, and then knuckle down to training.
He also confirmed the North Belfast men would take to the field with their previous loss to Bangor at home on their minds.
“We’re really looking forward to it,” he said.
“It’ll be a tough challenge for us going down there, Bangor are a good side, and they’re doing well in the league too.
“We’re preparing well, all the team is on good form, we’ll be training twice before the match.
“Bangor beat us last time up at Solitude, so when we head down this weekend we’ll remember that. It’ll be a tough challenge, but we’ll relish it.”
Newington have as of yet never won the Intermediate Cup, but if they beat Bangor on Saturday, it will take them through to the quarter-finals.
They currently sit third in the Premier Intermediate League, just four points shy of Bangor and they will hope to add to their trophy haul this season.
Bangor currently sit in second place and are hot on the heels of league leaders Armagh, with 27 points to Armagh’s 28. And the initiative is very with the seasiders, who comprehensively beat league leaders Armagh 3-0 in their last encounter, with Jamie Glover and Jack Uprichard scoring goals – two key players that Newington will surely be analysing ahead of this week’s game.
Earlier in the day at the Cricky (k.o. 1.30pm), Crumlin Star host Crewe United with the Ardoyne men in fine form after their 3-2 victory over Drumaness Mills last Saturday in a league fixture.
Crumlin Star v Immaculata 030801JC22.JPG
Star accounted for Bourneview Mill 3-2 in the last round, while Crewe United defeated Downshire YM 2-0.
Crumlin Star last won the Intermediate Cup in the 2018-2019 season and will be hopeful they can make a charge at regaining the trophy.
Their league form has been a mixed bag and they are currently in second place behind East Belfast who hold a narrow goal difference advantage.
Star’s last three games have seen them lose twice, first suffering a 3-1 loss to Larne Tech, and then going down 5-2 to Ards Rangers.
However, at their previous game on Saturday they stole the show early in the match, with two brilliant early goals from Stephen Smyth and another from Aiden McNeill sealing a 3-2 victory against Drumaness Mills in a return to form.
Captain Barry McKervey said: “The boys are really looking forward to it, but we would like to be focusing more on the league itself at the moment, as we had two losses there and a win against Drumaness, but we’ll approach the game the same as we approach every game, and we’ll be aiming to win.”
