Cliftonville and Glentoran meet in the BetMcLean Cup final this Sunday (March 9th) at Windsor Park, kick-off 3pm.

For the Reds it will be a sixth appearance in the decider in the last 12 years, whilst the Glens are in the final for the first time since 2010 but both sides go into the game having enjoyed cup success in the past year.

Indeed, the Glens became the first side in five seasons to wrestle the Co. Antrim Shield out of Larne's grasp with victory (on penalties) over the Inver Reds as recently as January this year.

And, for the Reds, who can forget those dramatic scenes at Windsor Park last May when they finally got their hands back on the Irish Cup with that 3-1 win over Linfield?

Sunday's big game will be the fourth time the sides will have met this season.

Glentoran won the first meeting back in August courtesy of a stunning finish from Jordan Jenkins at the BetMcLean Oval.

The 24-year-old hit the only goal of the game as early as the second minute after he flicked the ball into space on the edge of the area and unleashed a terrific left-foot screamer into the top corner giving David Odumosu no chance.

The Glens also held the upper hand in the return at Solitude just before Christmas.

Joe Gormley had fired the Reds in front around the half-hour mark with a header from a Taylor Steven cross

The Glens hit back in first half stoppage time courtesy of keeper Daniel Gyollai who knocked forward a free-kick from inside his own area the full length of the pitch and over opposite number Odumosu!

The visitors then secured the points with just over ten minutes remaining when Odumosu let a Daniel Amos free-kick slip from this grasp and over the line.

But, most recently at the end of February, two goals midway through the second half gave Cliftonville the edge - again at Solitude.

Scoreless for over an hour, the deadlock was finally broken on 65 minutes when Ryan Curran pounced on the loose ball after Gyollai had initially done well to deal with Rory Hale's shot from distance.

Then, three

To get to the final the Glens have had to overcome the challenges of Dergview, Linfield, Ballymena United and Crusaders - a route that boss Declan Devine has acknowledged hasn't been easy.

"First and foremost our draws have been very difficult," he said.

"In the first round we got Dergview and, to be fair, they came and put it up to us. We mixed the team up a bit, and played players that didn't have a lot of minutes under their belt. It was a really tough game for us.

"Then you progress from that and hope you get another home draw but you get pulled out against Linfield. You think, 'ok, we'll take it on the chin and go and give a good account of ourselves' but it was a brilliant occasion, one where we knew we'd have to be at our best.

After overcoming the Sky Blues in the last eight Crusaders lay in wait in the semi-finals, a game that saw the Glens surrender a two-goal lead before coming through in extra-time.

"That was a brilliant night, full of emotion. We were 2-0 up but even at half-time I didn't feel we'd played that great but this game epitomised the character and determination in the group.

"It's very easy when you give away a two goal lead to fall into your shell and accept that the game is slipping away from you."

As for coming up against Cliftonville in the final, Devine is quick to acknowledge how much of a challenge it'll be.

"It's going to be such a tough test. We've had tough games against them this year, we've won two but there's been nothing in the matches. They'll bring a huge crowd, we'll bring a huge crowd and it'll be very much what team performs the best on the day. It can really go any way.

"It'll be fantastic for the team and the club if we win. There's an expectation at this club that we should be winning trophies but to be able to win this will be really special on the back of winning the Shield.

"It would be testament to a lot of people at the club and to our fans that have been starved and to our owner who has invested a lot, and to the people working hard behind the scenes.

"But I'd love it for the team and for the players, and knowing what they've given, and for their families with all the sacrifices they've given."

Cliftonville's journey has taken them to Limavady United, Bangor and Armagh City before coming up against Larne in the last four.

And Reds manager Jim Magilton is quick to point to how difficult a course that has been.

"It's been tough, they've all been all really tough games. If you look at Limavady away, who are going great guns, Paul Owens has done a great job with them, it was always going to be a tough tie, always one that was a potential banana skin because of their quality.

"It was one that we were really prepared for, we went into great detail and we managed to get through it.

"Bangor away was another massive game. Lee Feeney has done an incredible job there, they were on a crest of a wave and we knew it was going to be another difficult place to go. Again a lot of time was spent on recognising their strengths and weaknesses and we managed to get through that one too."

Cliftonville hit five goals without reply past Armagh City in the quarter-finals before taking on Larne in the next round in what the second meeting between the sides in a few days.

"Because we'd played so close on the Friday night and lost 2-0 it was a very difficult one to raise the levels again for the Tuesday night game," said Magilton.

"We knew how tough it was going to be, Larne are an exceptional team and an exceptional club, they've been doing so well. We knew it was going to be a tough ask, we knew it was going to go to the wire and we knew they'd test our character and resilience.

"Even though they went down to ten men and defended so valiantly it's credit to our players that they kept going and going before young Destiny Ojo went and scored the winning goal, and then mayhem ensues!

Looking forward to the final, Magilton is hoping that recent and past glories will inspire his side to another success.

"As we know, Cliftonville supporters enjoy a final and they'll be out in their thousands trying to roar us onto victory.

"We've managed to get to the final, and we've done it again tough opposition all the way and we now face a real tough game again.

"We've got to use all our experience in that and use the proud history of the League Cup at this football club to go out there and present ourselves and try to win."