Stephen O'Donnell eyes more cup glory with Coleraine

The then runaway Championship leaders took the game to the Bannsiders in front of a bumper crowd at Inver Park that night and were unlucky not to take the Premiership side’s scalp.

They were pegged back by a dramatic late equaliser before the visitors went on to score two more in extra time to seal a 5-3 win. Coleraine skipper Stephen O’Donnell though feels tonight’s clash won’t be as free-scoring.

“I don’t think this Friday night’s game will be anything like last season, I think it will be a lot more cagey and it could be a goal either way that nicks it,” he said.

“We have played them a few times this year and they are a good side; they try to move the ball well and they’ll be able to do that on their decent surface, but we’ll look forward to it and we’ll see what happens.

“Larne are going well, and they are scoring goals.

“I think it maybe took them a couple of months to get going in the league and they are a lot more settled now, than what they probably were at the start of the season.

“However for us it’s another big test and they just keep coming and we just have to keep ticking them off and hopefully we can get into the next round.”

The Bannsiders already have a trophy in the cabinet following their recent League Cup final victory over Crusaders. They are also pushing Linfield at the top of the Danske Bank Premiership and looking to progress in the Irish Cup, and O’Donnell couldn’t be happier.

“Look this is where you want to be, you want to be involved in the final stages of cup competitions and be right up there challenging for the league," he said.

“So, for us this is why we are working hard all year.

“We go hard Tuesday and Thursday nights to make sure that come the end of the season we are in the mix, but we’ll see what will happen on Friday night.

“I’m sure the gaffer (Oran Kearney) will have a plan for Larne as well and we’ll go and try to get into the semi-final of the Irish Cup.”

Coleraine come into the game on the back of a 4-0 win over Institute with O’Donnell, grabbing one of the goals, but the defender was equally as pleased with the clean sheet.

“As soon as we went 2-0 up, all that we wanted after that was to make sure that we kept a clean-sheet,” he said.

“So for us in the second half it was about us managing the game and that’s what we have to keep on doing for the remainder of the season.

“We have to keep more clean-sheets and when we are in front it’s all about managing the game.”

Larne are also coming into the game on the backof an impressive run, and skipper Jeff Hughes wants that to continue tonight.

“We’ve managed to put a bit of a run together since the turn of the year by losing just once in ten games now, so we’re obviously pleased to be able to go into the Cup game full of confidence,” he said.

“Coleraine will do likewise being in good form themselves, so we expect another close affair on the night.

“Over the past ten games we have had everything thrown at us – good teams at the top of the table, tricky pitches and some of the worst weather I’ve played in throughout my career. The boys truly believe we have now turned a corner and are confident in any situation we find ourselves in, which can only bode well, going forward.”