'Surreal' for Ards to be in Irish Cup semi-final
Ards manager John Bailie said that it is "surreal" for his Championship side to be in the semi-finals of the Irish Cup.
The north Down side beat Premiership Loughgall 2-0 on Saturday with goals from Michael Ruddy and Eamon Scannell helping them to victory in the quarter-final tie.
They are in the last four of the Irish Cup for the first time since 1995 and will face holders Cliftonville for a place in the final.
"It's a bit surreal, we have done really well in cup competitions in terms of performance levels when we've been tested against Premiership teams," Bailie told BBC Sport NI.
"Semi-final don't come along often for a club like Ards so it's going to be a big day."
Bailie believes Ards were worthy winners at Clandeboye Park as they set up another meeting with Cliftonville, who edged them on penalties in the County Antrim Shield earlier in the season.
"We came into the game fairly confident, not cocky but we knew we had a chance because Loughgall have been struggling," he added.
"We thoroughly deserved it in the end, to a man we were very good, everyone gave their all."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Premiership final betting tips: Two predictions for Bath vs Leicester
Premiership final betting tips: Bath to win by 11-15 points - 11/2 BoyleSports Leicester HT Bath FT - 5/1 Bet365 Bath take on Leicester Tigers in the Premiership final at Twickenham on Saturday looking to win the title for the first time since the 1995/96 season. Since the way the league winner was determined changed in 2002/03 when the Premiership final was introduced, Bath have been involved three times, losing to Wasps, Saracens and most recently Northampton, 12 months ago. Advertisement Leicester have won the title nine times since their opponents last lifted the trophy, the final time was three years ago when they beat Saracens 15-12. The two sides finished first and second in the Premiership table with Bath finishing 11 points clear of Saturday's opponents. They came from behind at half-time to secure a 34-20 victory over Bristol Bears in the semi-finals while Leicester beat Sale Sharks 21-16. On the back of that, betting sites are siding with Bath to get the job done with 4/11 the best odds available on the favourites. Bath to complete the hat-trick over Leicester Rugby betting sites are backing the the final to go with the form book but you can get 3/1 on Leicester to win and 28/1 on a draw. Advertisement The two sides met in the Premiership just over three weeks ago and Bath ran out 43-15 winners thanks to seven tries by seven different scorers and four conversions from Finn Russell. The Scotland fly-half is in form having scored 14 points in the semi-final win with four conversions and two penalties. He also scored when the two sides met in the reverse league fixture back in September, helping his side to a 20-15 victory despite trailing 10-5 at the break. The 32-year-old has scored 243 points this season, including four tries, 92 conversions and 13 penalties and he's bound to be on the scoresheet this weekend. Advertisement With Russell in fine form, Bath should prove too strong for Leicester and should win with a comfortable points cushion to spare. Premiership Final prediction 1: Bath to win by 11-15 points - 11/2 BoyleSports Tigers to get off to a flying start Against both Leicester at Welford Road and Bristol Bears last weekend Bath were forced to come from behind at the break to win and betting apps are offering 5/1 on this happening again at Twickenham. Leicester head coach Michael Cheika will know his side must start well if they are to secure their record 12th title and although we know they are going to struggle against the quality of Bath we are confident they can cause their opponents real problems early on. Advertisement With that in mind, there's good value in the half-time/full-time market so we're backing that recent trend to continue. Premiership Final prediction 2: - Leicester HT Bath FT - 5/1 Bet365 Please gamble responsibly If you're having a bet on the Premiership final, it's vital to practice responsible gambling. Betting can be addictive and it's important to stay in control of your gambling, whether you're using online bookmakers, casino sites, slot sites or any other gambling platform. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop. Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control. Advertisement It's easy to get sucked in by free bet offers or casino bonuses, but they can become addictive so be mindful when opting in to a promotion. If you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don't hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gossip: Edwards tipped for Boro job
Former Luton manager Rob Edwards is the lead candidate to take over at Championship side Middlesbrough. (Sky Sports) Want more transfer news? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bath seek end to Premiership drought against old rivals Leicester
Bath are chasing a trophy treble as they prepare to face Leicester in the Premiership final (Anne-Christine POUJOULAT) Bath take on Leicester in the Premiership final on Saturday, bidding to be crowned champions of England for the first time since 1996 in the latest chapter of a storied rugby rivalry. The West Country side were the dominant force from the 1980s until the mid-1990s before Leicester took charge, becoming champions in four straight seasons around the turn of the century. Advertisement The clubs have been English champions 17 times between them, Leicester most recently in 2022, but Bath have not been top dogs for 29 years. Bath suffered an agonising 25-21 loss to Northampton at Twickenham last year -- their third defeat in play-off finals. Bath and Scotland fly-half Finn Russell said to his coach, Johann van Graan, after the game: "We'll just have to do it next year now." Van Graan's side have already ended their 17-year wait for silverware by winning this season's Premiership Rugby Cup and the Challenge Cup. But the Premiership title is the one they really want. Advertisement South African Van Graan, whose team reached Saturday's final at Twickenham with a 34-20 victory over local rivals Bristol, said last year's disappointment would not change his approach. "We'll stick to the same process this week," he said. "A final is a one-off. "We have worked incredibly hard to get back to this position to go back to Twickenham, a year on from Northampton." This time, there is greater expectation on Bath given their dominance in the regular season -- they finished 11 points clear of second-placed Leicester. - Bath belief - Bath captain Ben Spencer insisteed his side are now better-prepared to win the final. Advertisement "Everyone feels different. This group's been through enough now and played in enough big games to know how the week needs to feel and look," he said. "It's taken a lot of hard work from the group. That's one huge thing that Johann brought in, turning hope into belief and this group believes now and believes we can win big games." Leicester, Bath's great rivals during their glory years, are hunting a record-extending 12th English title in the first Premiership final between the two giants. Michael Cheika's men booked their place with a 21-16 victory over Sale in the play-off semi-finals. Advertisement It is a dramatic improvement from the 2023/24 campaign, when they finished eighth in the table. The former Australia coach, who will be leaving his role at the end of the season after one campaign in charge, admitted Bath are favourites. Bath humbled the Tigers 43-15 last month to complete a league double this season. "I know we will be doubted and probably for good reason from the results and the table," the 58-year-old Australian told BBC Radio Leicester. He added: "We have strong self belief internally and that will be something that will be really important. That is something we have built up over the season. "But this is a good opportunity for us to use that belief in ourselves, because what that gives you is a hand in knowing what you will have to do." jw/jdg/iwd
