HANOVER WILL HOPE TO PLAY A BLINDER..

PORTADOWN-BASED club Hanover have excelled in recent seasons in both the Intermediate and Bob Radcliffe Cups, so they will no doubt be hoping to cause a shock in the Irish Cup fifth round come January 4.

The Mid-ulster Intermediate A side were drawn out of the hat last Tuesday afternoon to face Danske Bank Premiership club Cliftonville at Solitude and steps were quickly put in place to secure a bus for travelling fans.

Although to date the Brownstown Park men have failed to reach the heights of the 2017/18 season, when they won the Bob Radcliffe and reached the semi-final of the Intermediate Cup, they will nonetheless relish the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with Paddy Mclaughlin’s Reds.

Top flight opposition also await Paul Trainor’s Crumlin Star – the current Amateur League Premier Division champions are set to travel to David Jeffrey’s Ballymena United, while Ballymena Premier Intermediate League side Belfast Celtic will make their bow at this stage of the competition at Larne.

The 5th round draw for the newly-named Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup also pitted Amateur League clubs East Belfast and Rathfriland against Banbridge Town and Loughgall respectively.

For Iveagh Park club Rathfriland this will be their third cup encounter over the festive period as they have a Bob Radcliffe Cup final date with Dungannon Swifts U20s on Boxing Day, followed by a Border Cup showdown with Ballynahinch Olympic on New Year’s Day.

Of the eight clubs that survived the early rounds of the competition the remaining two, Dollingstown and Bangor, face away ties to Championship sides Ballinamallard United and Newry City.