A BAD week for Portadown could get even worse on Wednesday night as they host league champions Crusaders in the League Cup. The Ports were hit for six at Dungannon Swifts on Saturday and now face Stephen Baxter’s side after the further dent of having their appeal against a 12-point deduction in the league rejected on Monday.
Cliftonville, who are seeking to extend their ownership of the trophy to a fifth consecutive year, travel to giant-killers Annagh United, who dumped Glentoran out in the last round in a famous 3-2 victory. That came against their line of form, with the Tandragee men having conceded 37 goals in their nine league games so far this season.
Ballymena United and Linfield both had ultimately comfortable passage through round two at the expense of Newington and Larne respectively, and they meet in another of the three all-Premiership clashes. The other sees Ballinamallard, who drew 1-1 with Glentoran at the weekend, travel to Stangmore Park to face the Swifts. The sides met in the league at the start of this month, with goals from James McKenna and Adam Lecky giving the Mallards victory.
Championship 1 table-toppers Warrenpoint will view their trip to Ards as an opportunity to progress to a quarter-final, while Armagh, H&W Welders and Knockbreda all face Premiership opposition. Armagh are at home to Carrick Rangers, while Glenavon host the Welders at Mourneview Park.
Knockbreda lie bottom of the Championship with just one league win to their name, but had a 4-3 win over Lurgan Celtic in the last round and they face a trip to the Coleraine Showgrounds as a result.
