1988–89 Irish Cup

Irish Cup 1988–89 Northern Ireland 76 Ballymena United (5th win) Larne 81 263 1987–88 1989–90 The 1988–89 Irish Cup was the 109th edition of the Irish Cup, Northern Ireland's premier football knock-out cup competition. It concluded on 6 May 1989 with the final. Glentoran were the defending champions after winning their fourth consecutive Irish Cup the previous season by beating Glenavon 1–0 in the 1988 final.https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nilcuphist.html Northern Ireland Cup Finals Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation RSSSF 27 October 2012 Their grip on the cup was finally broken by Linfield, who defeated them in the quarter-finals to inflict Glentoran's first Irish Cup defeat in 5 years. Ballymena United won the cup for the fifth time (sixth if you include Ballymena's record), defeating Larne 1–0 in the final.https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nil89.html Northern Ireland 1988/89 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation RSSSF 27 October 2012 To date, this is Ballymena United's last cup success. In fact, they did not reach the final again until 2014. The cup was expanded to 76 clubs this season, including more non-league clubs. There would now be five rounds, then the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. Results First round Annalong Swifts, Downshire Young Men, RUC, Queen's University and Blue Circle all received byes into the second round. Armagh City 0–1 Orangefield Old Boys Armoy United 3–1 Dromara Village Ballynahinch United 2–2(2–3 p) Civil Service Bangor Amateurs 3–1 Larne Tech Old Boys Barn United 0–2 Park Comber Recreation 0–4 Harland & Wolff Sports Crewe United 6–1 Cullybackey Cromac Albion 2–0 Annagh United Dundela 6–2 Ballymoney United GEC 2–1 Loughgall Harland & Wolff Welders 3–0 UUC Institute 0–1 Ards Rangers Islandmagee 2–1 Kilmore Recreation Killyleagh Youth 6–1 Armagh Town Limavady United 2–1 Standard Telephones & Cables Macosquin 4–0 Saintfield United Moyola Park 4–0 Oxford United Portstewart 0–1 1st Bangor Old Boys POSC 2–1 A.F.C. Craigavon Rathfriland Rangers 2–2(6–3 p) Newtownabbey Town Shorts 2–1 Sirocco Works Star of the Sea 5–1 UUJ Tandragee Rovers 2–5 Roe Valley |} Second round Annalong Swifts 1–2 Limavady United Bangor Amateurs 1–0 Orangefield Old Boys Cromac Albion 2–1 Shorts Downshire Young Men 1–2 Rathfriland Rangers Dundela 4–3 Killyleagh Youth GEC 2–4 Ards Rangers Harland & Wolff Welders 5–0 Crewe United Islandmagee 2–1 POSC Macosquin 0–1 Armoy United Moyola Park 1–2 Harland & Wolff Sports Park 3–0 1st Bangor Old Boys Queen's University 3–0 Civil Service Roe Valley 5–1 Blue Circle RUC 2–2(6–5 p) Star of the Sea |} Third round Armoy United 3–1 Rathfriland Rangers Cromac Albion Youth 2–1 Bangor Amateurs Dundela 6–0 Islandmagee Harland & Wolff Welders 1–0 Queen's University Limavady United 2–1 Ards Rangers Park 0–0(4–3 p) Harland & Wolff Sports Roe Valley 3–1 RUC |} Fourth round The 14 top flight clubs entered in this round, along with the seven third round winners, and 11 non-league clubs given byes to this round. Ards 0–1 Cromac Albion Banbridge Town 3–0 Roe Valley Carrick Rangers 1–0 Bangor Cookstown United 1–4 Ballyclare Comrades Coleraine 1-3 Linfield Crusaders 2–0 Dungannon Swifts Distillery 1–4 Ballymena United Dunmurry Rec. 0–1 Donegal Celtic Larne 3–0 Chimney Corner Portadown 1–0 Coagh United Glenavon 4–2 Dundela Glentoran 5–1 Armoy United Newry Town 1–2 Cliftonville Omagh Town 2–0 Brantwood Park 2–0 Harland & Wolff Welders Tobermore United 3–0 Limavady United |} Fifth round Ballyclare Comrades 2–2 Ballymena United Carrick Rangers 2–1 Portadown Cliftonville 1–0 Park Crusaders 1–0 Banbridge Town Larne 6–1 Donegal Celtic Glenavon 0–3 Linfield Omagh Town 2–3 Glentoran Tobermore United 1–1 Cromac Albion |} Replays Ballymena United 5–1 Ballyclare Comrades Cromac Albion 0–1 Tobermore United |} Quarter-finals Cliftonville 0–0 Tobermore United Crusaders 2–3 Ballymena United Larne 0–0 Carrick Rangers Glentoran 0–3 Linfield |} Replays Carrick Rangers 2–3 Larne Tobermore United 0–1 Cliftonville |} Semi-finals Cliftonville 1–1 Larne Linfield 1–1 Ballymena United |} Replays Ballymena United 2–1 Linfield Larne 2–1 Cliftonville |} Final 6 May 1989 Ballymena United 1 – 0 Report Larne Hardy 73 The Oval, Belfast References Category:Irish Cup seasons Cup