The 2024/25 BetMcLean Cup kicked off right back at the beginning of the season with six Preliminary Round ties on August 13th.

Ballymacash Rangers were the clearest winners on the night, hitting three goals without reply past Banbridge Town at the Bluebell Stadium.

Anto Burns opened the scoring midway through the first half with a header from Dylan Sinnerton’s delivery, and doubled up on 67 minutes with a brilliant finish inside the box.

Sinnerton then got in on the act himself to wrap the scoring up moments later.

Two games went to extra-time with Queen’s University squandering a three-goal lead away to Tobermore United before eventually coming through by the odd goal in seven.

First half goals from Johnny Mairs, James O’Hara and Marc McKenna saw the Students hold a comfortable advantage after 42 minutes but Calvin McCallion’s spot-kick just before the break gave the home side some hope.

And so it proved with Rhys O’Mullan pulling another one back early in the second half, before Stuart Forrest struck late on to force the game into an extra half-an-hour … but it took a Lorcan McIlroy penalty ten minutes in to eventually settle it in favour of the visitors.

Warrenpoint Town and Lisburn Distillery were also scoreless after normal time at Milltown but a Darren Doherty power drive into the top corner edged ‘Point in front on 94 minutes, with Michael Leddy doubling up not long after that.

Moyola Park defeated PIL newcomers Oxford Sunnyside 3-1 at Mill Meadow, Rathfriland Rangers came from a goal down at home to get past Coagh United and Dergview edged past Knockbreda in the battle of the sides relegated from the Championship last season.

First Round
Three Premiership clubs bowed out at the first hurdle on a big night of BetMcLean Cup action, goals, shocks and drama at the start of October.

Carrick Rangers, Portadown and Loughgall all exited to lower division opposition while Ballymena United only scraped through after penalties.

Portadown, last season’s losing finalists, had their ambitions of going one step further dashed at Shamrock Park as Aidan Steele’s 90th minute finish was enough to see Ards through.

Carrick Rangers might have looked to the cup to provide some relief from a torrid recent league form but that was very much not the case as Queen’s University came to Taylors Avenue and left with the win courtesy of Chris Middleton’s stunning finish from his own half with seven minutes remaining.

Loughgall surrendered a two-goal lead at Lakeview Park before going out to Armagh City.

The Villagers looked to be cruising when a goal early in each half from Conor McCloskey and Jay Boyd seemed to put them into a strong position, but the Eagles pulled one back through Dermot McCaffrey before a couple of strikes in the last ten minutes from Noeem Oladunjoye and Ugo Anny-Nzekwue saw Shea Campbell’s side through.

And Ballymena United, flying high at the time, were almost tripped up away to Rathfriland Rangers.

Ruari Fitzpatrick had given Rangers the edge at the break, but goals from Stephen O’Donnell and Noah Stewart early in the second half appeared to tip the balance in favour of the visitors.

However Fitzpatrick hit his second to level and take the game into extra-time. Ethan Devine restored Ballymena’s lead early on but Andrew Kilmartin then knocked home a penalty to ensure the game needed spot-kicks to settle it … with Jim Ervin’s men eventually squeezing through.

There were also relatively close calls on the road for Crusaders and Glenavon before they got past Ballyclare Comrades and Newington respectively, while a youthful Larne side had to come from behind to get the better of HW Welders at the Blanchflower Stadium.

Holders Linfield kicked off their defence of the trophy with a straightforward defeat of Dundela at Wilgar Park thanks to goals from Kirk Millar, Charlie Allen and Joel Cooper while Charlie Lindsay and David Fisher struck at either end of the game as Glentoran saw off Dergview at the BetMcLean Oval.

Dungannon Swifts were the biggest winners on the night, hitting five goals without reply past Portstewart at Stangmore Park with three of those coming via Andrew Mitchell.

Dollingstown also bagged a similar number as they defeated Newry City 5-1 at Planters Park, while Annagh United were taken to extra-time before accounting for Moyola Park at Mill Meadow.

Elsewhere, Coleraine travelled to Ferney Park to defeat Ballinamallard United 4-0, Bangor also hit four as they crushed Warrenpoint Town at Clandeboye Park, Taylor Steven and Destiny Ojo were on target for Cliftonville as they travelled to see off Limavady United and a Mikhail Kennedy free-kick was enough for Institute away to Ballymacash Rangers.

Second Round
Fast forward a month and another busy night produced the usual sprinkling of cup magic as Annagh United, Armagh City, Ballymena United, Cliftonville, Crusaders and Dungannon Swifts all made it through to the last eight.

Armagh City caused the upset of the evening with a penalty shoot-out defeat of Glenavon at Holm Park.

The sides couldn’t be separated during normal play – although the Lurgan Blues did strike the woodwork and have another effort ruled out offside.

The dreaded spot-kicks were ultimately required to settle the tie … and even then it took a remarkable 20 penalties to determine a victor when, in sudden death, Jack Clarke converted followed by a James Carroll miss to send Shea Campbell's side through 8-7 winners.

The only all-Premiership tie of the night saw Philip Lowry strike twice as Crusaders came from behind to defeat Coleraine at Seaview.

The deadlock was broken when Matthew Shevlin ran onto Connor Murray's cross from the left to beat Jonny Tuffey from close range.

That was how it stayed until three minutes after the break when Lowry levelled after combining with Stewart Nixon to send a deflected effort past Brown from outside the area.

And just as it looked like the game would drift into extra-time up popped Lowry again in the closing moments to volley home into the bottom corner from Jarlath O'Rourke's perfectly delivered free-kick.

Dungannon Swifts had to wait until the last quarter of the game to edge past Dollingstown at Stangmore Park.

The visitors came storming out of the blocks, and stunned their hosts with a Kyle McGuiggan strike past Patrick Solis Grogan as early as the fourth minute.

It was a lead they held until the 68th minute when Andrew Mitchell levelled from a Leo Alves cut back.

Then, ten minutes after that, the Swifts edged in front after a Kealan Dillon off the woodwork was eventually scramble home by John McGovern.

James Knowles then made sure in added time, although Dollingstown had twice struck the woodwork themselves prior to that.

Cliftonville needed a late goal to squeeze past Bangor at Clandeboye. Scoreless at the break, the Reds twice connected with the woodwork as both Joe Gormley and then Rory Hale saw efforts kept out by the fixtures and fittings.

The sides remained in deadlock until the closing moments of the game until 17-year-old Ryan Corrigan popped up the hit the winner that ensured the Reds progressed.

A Donal Rocks goal proved the difference as Ballymena United edged to victory over Ards at The Showgrounds. The 24-year-old bagged what proved to be the winner with just under a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock when he connected with a cross from the left to knock the ball past keeper Alex Moore.

Meanwhile, a goal in each half helped Annagh United ease past Queen's University at the BMG Arena. The Championship side moved in front on 17 minutes after Kenny Ximenes showed some nice footwork inside the area to finish neatly into the far corner.

Annagh then doubled their lead midway through the second half after Stephen Murray squared the ball for Jack Hastings to make no mistake.

Larne made it through to the quarter-finals a little later that month with a two-goal win away to Institute while, in early December, Glentoran completed the last eight line-up with a single goal defeat of Linfield at Windsor Park.

The winner came with just three minutes remaining when James Douglas' deflected effort from an attempted clearance wrong footed Chris Johns to end up in the back of the net.

Quarter-finals
In the quarter-finals Crusaders surrendered a two-goal lead at home to Dungannon Swifts before winning through in extra-time.

The Crues raced into a commanding lead midway through the first half. Harry Jewitt-White fired Declan Caddell's side in front on 17 minutes after pouncing on the loose ball from a right-sided cross and volleying past Patrick Solis Grogan into the opposite top corner.

Then, just six minutes after that, Kieran Offord doubled home advantage and opened his account for the night at the back post after Daniel Larmour had sent over a low cross from the right.

The Swifts were thrown a lifeline four minutes from the break. Tomas Galvin did well to find John McGovern in the area who, in turn, slotted the ball past Jonny Tuffey who couldn't keep it out despite getting a hand to the ball.

That was how it stayed until five minutes from time when, amid dramatic scenes, the Swifts levelled.

Presented with a penalty after Lewis Barr's challenge on Gael Bigirimana, Tuffey correctly dived to the right to keep out Kealan Dillon's spot-kick only for Leo Alves to pounce on the rebound and knock it into the net.

However the Crues made no mistake in extra-time after Offord doubled his tally for the evening on 92 minutes with a powerful strike into the bottom corner.

And Offord claimed the match ball just over ten minutes after that to kill the game off when he held off the challenge of Danny Wallace and finished low past the visiting keeper.

Larne and Cliftonville progressed to the last four the following evening.

Matthew Lusty hit a hat-trick at the BMG Arena as Larne powered past Annagh United. The 21-year-old opened the scoring midway through the first half with a driven effort back across goal after Jason Craughwell had initially turned away a corner.

Larne doubled their advantage early in the second half after Benji Magee progressed down the right to send over a low cross that was turned into the net by a home defender.

Then, three minutes after that, Lusty doubled his tally for the evening with a volley into the corner of net from a Mark Randall delivery.

Leroy Millar extended Larne's lead seven minutes from time after Tomas Cosgrove had knocked a cross back into his path before Lusty then bagged his third of the evening right at the end with another great finish across the goal.

Cliftonville edged past Armagh City at Holm Park.

Scoreless at the break, the Reds moved in front not long after the break when a defensive lapse allowed Ryan Curran to open the scoring.

Rory Hale then doubled the visitors advantage when, following good work from Micheal Glynn, he finished into the bottom corner.

And 15-year-old Coran Madden completed the scoring in the closing moments after good build up play on the right from Jack Berry.

Glentoran booked their place in the semi-finals two-goal home defeat of Ballymena United.

The deadlock was broken on 69 minutes in favour of the home side when Jordan Jenkins unleashed a terrific effort from outside the area past O'Neill into the bottom corner.

And the game was effectively killed off as a contest with around five minutes remaining after David Fisher made the most of a defensive slip up to blast Glentoran's second of the evening past O'Neill.

Semi-finals
A Destiny Ojo strike in the closing minutes of extra-time at saw Cliftonville reach the final at Larne's expense at Inver Park.

Joe Gormley came closest for the Reds in the scoreless first half after pouncing on a poor ball only to see Rohan Ferguson diving to tip his effort around the upright.

Larne were dealt a blow early in the second half after they were reduced to ten men following Shaun Want's dismissal for a challenge on Rory Hale.

The sides continued to trade chances as the game progressed, with David Odumosu forced to deal with Ryan Nolan's header from Levi Ives' free-kick while, for the visitors, Axel Piesold sent a dipping volley just over the top.

Cliftonville thought they had done enough four minutes from the end of extra-time after Jonny Addis sent over a perfectly delivered cross for Aaron Pettifer to turn home but his finish was ruled out offside.

But the visiting fans were celebrating just sixty seconds after that. A Rory Hale ball to the back post was met by Ojo who duly turned it into the net to spark scenes of ecstasy amongst the travelling support and a place in March's decider against Glentoran.

And across the city Glentoran also made it through after extra-time with a 4-2 defeat of Crusaders at the BetMcLean Oval.

The Glens raced into an early lead when, after 12 minutes, Jordan Jenkins converted from the spot after Jacob Blaney was penalised for bringing down Dylan Connolly as he burst into the area.

Jenkins then doubled up for Glentoran with just under ten minutes of the first half remaining after cutting inside from the right before unleashing a terrific strike past keeper Jonny Tuffey.

Crusaders came out after the break on the front foot, and levelled just short of the hour mark when Stewart Nixon pounced on a loose ball from a throw-in to direct it into the bottom corner.

Then, on 76 minutes, Kieran Offord levelled for the Crues with a close range finish beyond David Gyollai after cutting in from the tightest of angles.

Two goals in the second period of extra-time eventually secured a place in the decider for the Glens.

Kodi Lyons-Foster edged Declan Devine's side in front on 115 minutes when, from another Amos set piece, he got the final touch to divert the ball past Tuffey.

And Donnelly made sure in the closing moments after racing clear of the defence - as the Crues pushed forward for a corner - to knock the ball into an unguarded net.