IRISH CUP: Coleraine relishing home quarter-final tie against Glentoran

There is certainly no place like home for Coleraine.
Coleraine boss Oran Kearney was delighted to be handed a home draw in the Irish Cup quarter finals.Coleraine boss Oran Kearney was delighted to be handed a home draw in the Irish Cup quarter finals.
Coleraine boss Oran Kearney was delighted to be handed a home draw in the Irish Cup quarter finals.

The Bannsiders have suffered only one defeat at home in the past 12 months, so it came as no surprise that they were delighted to be paired at home with Glentoran in the Tennent’s Irish Cup quarter-finals.

“In 2017 our only defeat at The Showgrounds was the 5-1 loss to Linfield near the end of last season,” said boss Oran Kearney.

“I’m not really one for statistics, but that is a phenomenal record.

“We have talked for years about making here into a fortress.

“We want to make it an uncomfortable day for teams from start to finish.

“We have to make sure teams know what they’re coming down to here.

“I would hope when Glentoran heard the draw they would have been left wishing they had been drawn at home.

“There’s a month to go and there’s a lot of football to play between now and then, but it’s a game we’ll look forward to.”

The Bannsiders have beaten the Glens on three occasions so far this season, but Kearney will not be taking anything for granted when the sides meet at The Showgrounds on March 3rd.

“The previous games between us this season will count for nothing,” he said. “The Irish Cup is a completely different animal to the league.

“We definitely won’t be looking at the league form going into the game.

“It will all be about who turns up on the day of the tie.”