IFA Women’s Irish Cup final: Cliftonville v Glentoran (Saturday, Windsor Park, 7.30pm, live on BBC NI)
As the two most successful team in the women’s game in the north, there’s little need for additional motivation when Cliftonville and Glentoran meet.
The two clubs have shared the last seven NIFL Women’s Premiership titles and with the Reds already confirmed as this year’s champions, the rivalry rumbles on in this Saturday’s Irish Cup final at Windsor Park.
A win for the Reds would have seen them complete the third leg of a treble, however, their 4-0 win over the Glens in the League Cup final in July has been overturned after Cliftonville were found to have fielded two ineligible players.
Glentoran were awarded a 3-0 victory and Cliftonville have also been fined £500.
That perhaps adds a bit of needle to Saturday’s contest but these two teams but with the Reds having beaten Glentoran in their three league meetings this year, manager Brendan Lynch says they aren’t dwelling on the disappointment of losing the League Cup on a technicality.
“It’s not quite Man City-esque, it’s a technicality if you want,” Lynch told BBC Sport NI.
“We put it aside and we go on. There’s no point dwelling on it, we have to go forward and that’s it.”
Glentoran were reigning champions going into this season but lost their title to their closest rivals and even though they have a trophy to their name in the form of the League Cup, manager Kim Turner pointed our that they didn’t get to celebrate it due to the manner of how they were awarded.
Turner admitted that the season hasn’t gone as they would have hoped but says they can end it on a high with victory in the Irish Cup final.
“There is a lot we cannot change about this season, but we have earned the chance to finish it by bringing the Irish Cup back to Glentoran,” said Turner.
“That is an opportunity we have to take.
“We set out to defend our league title and we fell short. As manager, I take my share of responsibility for that. We have good players who expect more of themselves, and we know there have been games when we have not shown enough of what we can do.”
Cliftonville’s Caitlin McGuinness scored twice in that League Cup final, with her sister Kirsty and Danielle Maxwell also getting on the scoresheet.
They will be players the Glens will need to be wary of again at Windsor Park on Saturday night but Turner insists they must concentrate on their own game.
“We know Cliftonville well. Our focus is on ourselves and making sure we produce our best performance when it matters,” she said.
“To our supporters, get behind us from the first whistle. Be loud, stay with the players and help them through the moments when they need you. We know your backing has to be matched by what we give you on the pitch.”
The Reds are going for a third successive Irish Cup win while Glentoran are looking to win the trophy for the first time since 2023, when Turner led the club to a league and cup double.
Cliftonville qualified for their fourth consecutive final with 3-0 win over north Belfast rivals Crusaders in the semi-finals while Glentoran also saw off close opponents Linfield 1-0 in their last four clash.
