Colin Coates insists revenge will not be on Crusaders’ agenda when they take on Irish Cup nemesis Linfield on Saturday.
The Crues have suffered successive defeats to the Blues in the last two showpiece finals.
In 2011 Linfield came from behind to seal a late 2-1 victory, while last May David Jeffrey’s side steamrollered their Belfast rivals 4-1 to claim their sixth double in seven years.
Fate has conspired that the two cup heavyweights will meet in the fifth round this season.
It is easily the tie of the round as two sides with impeccable Irish Cup pedigree lock horns at Windsor Park.
But despite recent history favouring the Blues, Crusaders captain Coates insists rataliation is not on the North Belfast side’s radar.
“We are not looking at this game as the chance for ‘revenge’ or anything like that – we just want to play to our potential and try and progress,” Coates said.
“We have already won at Windsor this season. We beat Linfield in the league and in the League Cup, so the so-called ‘hoodoo’ we apparently had at their ground seems to be over.
“It won’t be easy. It is the hardest test we could have asked for. When the draw was made in December Linfield were going through a sticky patch. Now they are firing on all cylinders.
“But we are going well ourselves and we can’t wait for Saturday to come.”
When the fifth round draw was made back in December there were a few excited gasps when Crusaders’ name was paired off with the Blues.
Coates admits it came as a surprise when the two heavyweights were pitted together.
But he insists it is a tie worth relishing for both sets of players.
“Normally, when the fifth round draw is made, you come up against an Amateur League side or a Championship side,” he added.
“This year we get the holders at their ground. I wouldn’t say we were disappiointed or anything like that. At the end of the day you have to meet the best teams at some stage of the competition, so we have got one of those teams in our first game.
“It will be a massive occasion and everyone is looking forward to it.”
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