A SECOND duel of the season with Ballymena United awaits Ards in the new year after the Red and Blues were pitted against the NIFL Premiership side in Tuesday’s Irish Cup Fifth Round draw.
Earlier this month John Bailie’s side were beaten 1-0 by the Braidmen in a brave display in the last-16 of the BetMcLean Cup. Now they’re set for a return to the Warden Street venue in January as the 24 highest-ranked sides in the pyramid are joined by teams from the intermediate ranks who have already battled their way through four rounds of the competition.
Ards manager John Bailie, who attended the draw at the National Stadium, said: “This is a game we will certainly look forward to as it’s always nice to face Premiership opposition and it’s a great day for the players, supporters and all connected to the club.”
After a difficult start to the 2024/25 season, Jim Ervin’s Ballymena – buoyed by an influx of summer arrivals – shot to the summit of the Premiership table after a remarkable run of eight straight league wins between late August and mid-October.
They’ve since found the going tougher, suffering four defeats in a row to Coleraine, Crusaders, Portadown and Linfield before earning a 1-0 win over Cliftonville two weeks ago.
Unusually, there was not a single all-Premiership tie thrown up among the 16 fixtures in the draw. It produced a pair of derbies in the form of Annagh United v Portadown and H&W Welders v Glentoran, while holders Cliftonville will welcome Mid Ulster League Intermediate A outfit Banbridge Rangers, who are in the fifth round for the first time in their 20-year history.
Meanwhile, last season’s beaten finalists Linfield are set to face Ballymena League Intermediate Division 1 team Wellington Rec. Ties are scheduled to be played over the weekend of January 4.
The draw for the Irish Cup Fifth Round in full: Annagh United v Portadown; Bangor v Newington; Carrick Rangers v Newry City; Linfield v Wellington Rec; Dollingstown v Ballyclare Comrades; Coleraine v Armagh City; Limavady United v Larne; Dungannon Swifts v Rathfriland Rangers; Knockbreda or Banbridge Town v Crusaders; Institute v Loughgall; Islandmagee or Ballymacash Rangers v Ballinamallard United; Ballymena United v Ards; Cliftonville v Banbridge Rangers; Belfast Celtic v Moyola Park; Glenavon v Dundela; H&W Welders v Glentoran.
