Soccer

Cliftonville go in search of League Cup last four spot at Carrick

Daniel Hughes may start for Cliftonville against Carrick Rangers tonight
Daniel Hughes may start for Cliftonville against Carrick Rangers tonight Daniel Hughes may start for Cliftonville against Carrick Rangers tonight

CLIFTONVILLE travel to last season’s beaten finalists Carrick Rangers tonight in their bid to make it to the League Cup semi-finals.

The Reds, who won the cup a record four times in-a-row between 2012-13 and 2015-16, go into tonight’s game on the back of a morale boosting 5-0 win over Ballinamallard United in the Danske Bank Premiership last Saturday.

Daniel Hughes came off the bench to bag a late double in the Solitude win over Ballinamallard and he may be in line for a start tonight after manager Barry Gray challenged the former Warrenpoint man to shoot himself into the Reds’ first 11.

Carrick lost 2-0 to fellow strugglers Warrenpoint Town last weekend and they will be glad of the distraction from league difficulties as they seek to replicate last season’s cup run.

In tonight’s other quarter-finals, holders Ballymena United will host Ards at the Showgrounds. United shocked Linfield last Friday night to rack up a rare win over the Blues and manager David Jeffery will be hoping Conor McCloskey and Johnny McMurray can reprise their league heroics against the Ards men.

In the final pairing of the round, Dungannon Swifts will take on second-tier side Ballyclare Comrades at Stangmore Park.

Comrades are sitting pretty at the top of the NIFL Championship, three points ahead of second-placed Institute after a resounding 5-0 win over the PSNI last weekend.

The Swifts had last weekend off as they had no league fixture and they will be hoping the rest does them good for tonight.

All tonight’s games have a 7.45pm kick-off.