By Rory McKee
HAVING made it through four qualifying stages to take their place in the Irish Cup Fifth Round for the first time in 17 years, Comber Rec boss Gareth McKeown fancies his side’s chances of going another step further in the blue-riband competition.
With sides from the NIFL Premiership and Championship entering the fray for Tuesday afternoon’s draw at Windsor Park, Comber – along with the other intermediate sides still in the competition, such as Drumaness Mills and Lisburn Rangers – would have been eyeing up the prosepct of a bumper occasion against one of the country’s top teams.
And while on one hand, the Rec might be disappointed the draw instead threw up a meeting between themselves and third division Ballymacash Rangers at Park Way, it’s a tie the reigning NAFL champions know they stand a fair chance in.
Reflecting on the draw, ex- Crusaders defender McKeown said: “I know Gary Hamilton [Ballymacash manager] from my time at Glenavon and I don’t think he’ll be too pleased about drawing us.
“Ballymacash are used to playing on a 3G surface, so I think having the game at our place on the grass pitch will suit us. I think that made a difference on Saturday [in Comber’s league win against Rosario],” he added.
“We know we’re not going to win the Irish Cup which is why it would have been nice to have drawn one of the big teams, but it wasn’t to be.
“Ballymacash are a young side with a lot of inexperience, it will just be about who turns up on the day.
“But if we play like we have done recently, I’m confident we can get through.”
If Comber are to reach the sixth round, it could well be in-form striker James Sofley who helps to fire them there. The former Ards Rangers player has already notched 20 goals since making the move to Comber in the summer, including scoring all four in their win last Saturday.
McKeown said of his star man: “James is loving life at Comber. He’s someone we have needed to bring in for a while and is always in the right place at the right time.
“We know that teams are out to beat us this season and it hasn’t been easy, but we have managed to find our feet and are playing well now.
“The boys were really disappointed to go out of the Border Cup in the semi-final, but they have bounced back from it and are hungry for the next one.”
