Category: Irish Cup

Match Report: BUFC 1 – 2 Greenisland FC

Saturday 14 August

Ballynahinch blocked in Irish Cup

The Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup kicked off during the weekend with a first round tie between Ballynahinch United and Greenisland FC. 

A familiar buzz returned to Ballynahinch after 553 days without competitive action at The Millbridge and the home team treated the spectators to exciting attacking play.

Continue reading Match Report: BUFC 1 – 2 Greenisland FC

Cup Draws – Our Fixtures

We now know our opponents in the early rounds of the cup draws for:

  • Toals Steel & Sons Cup,
  • Border Regt. Cup and
  • The Tennent’s Irish Cup.

Steel & Sons Cup Draws

We will play Crewe United on Saturday 10 August at 2.30pm in the Toals Steel & Sons Cup, First Round. The tie will be played at Crewe Park.

On 2 July, the Second Round ties were also announced. The winners of our fixture against Crewe United will visit East Belfast FC or Bangor FC on 24 August at 2.30pm.

We’ve made it to the Second Round for six years in a row. Last season, we were knocked out of the Steel & Sons Cup in Round 2 when we lost 4-0 to St James’ Swifts at The Millbridge. While in 2013, we made it to Round 3 and lost to a strong Ballyclare Comrades side.

Border Regiment Cup

In the Border Regt Cup, we will play against NAFL Div 1B new boys, Aquinas FC.

We will play Aquinas FC on Saturday 31 August at Rathmore School and the match will kick off at 2pm.

In previous years, we have made it to the third round of the Border Cup, however in 1989/90, we won the winning the Amateur League’s Border Regiment Cup when the team beat British Telecom on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Tennent’s Irish Cup

Meanwhile, in the Tennent’s Irish Cup draw on 8 July, we were drawn another away tie – this time to Strabane FC on 17 August. Our kick off for Irish Cup games is at 1.30pm.

Our best run in the Irish Cup came in 2013 when we got to the 5th Round. On 9 January we traveled to the North Coast to face NIFL Premiership side, Coleraine FC. The score was 0-0 at half time, but finished 8-0 to the favourites. The aim will be to get to that stage again and further in the other Northern Ireland cup competitions.

We will keep you up to date on the next round of cup draws.

Irish Cup: Ballynahinch United 0 v 1 Sirocco Works

United entertained Sirocco Works in this second round Irish Cup tie and went down by a single goal following a fairly dour encounter in which both teams created few scoring opportunities. Long periods of play were centred on the middle of the park with both defences coping with whatever was thrown at them. United had Simon Jackson back up front and Gavin Crawford restored to the centre of midfield.

United’s best chance of the first half came following a shot from Jackson which was superbly saved by the Sirocco keeper while Brain McMullan in the home goal got his fingers to a shot which he managed to get over the bar.

Sirocco took the lead in the 40th minute from a free kick after a foul by Davy Boal. The kick from near the by-line evaded Brian McMullan and seemed to go into the net of a forward who would have known little about it.

In the second half United pressed forward but they were unable to create any real openings. In the closing stages of the game Ian Boal was set free on the right side of the penalty area and as the Sirocco keeper ran out to block his path he clipped to ball goal ward. The home crowd were ready to cheer as the effort looked for all in the world to be going into the net but it bounced agonisingly wide of the post and into the side netting.

This week United travel to play Sirocco in a league game at Ballyskeagh.