Frankie Hvid is relishing the opportunity to kick off 2025 on a winning note as Glentoran face Harland and Wolff Welders in an East Belfast derby in the Clearer Water Irish Cup fifth round on Friday at The Blanchflower Stadium.

Declan Devine’s side go into the tie in a rich vein of form after comeback victories over Cliftonville and Crusaders and a 2-0 win on the road against Portadown at Shamrock Park to see out 2024 in style.

The Glens are second in the Irish Premiership and are unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions.

However, defender Hvid said there was no prospect of Glentoran resting on their laurels.

placeholder image — Glentoran defender Frankie Hvid has established himself in the heart of the Oval club's defence since joining from Millwall

“We’ve been in great form lately, but Declan won’t let us get complacent,” he said. “He’s constantly pushing us to improve and challenging us to raise our standards every single day.

“He firmly believes there’s so much more to come from this young squad and we’re all buying into that vision.

“We know the fans are behind us every step of the way, and their support makes a huge difference. We’re determined to give them plenty to cheer about as we push for success in the second half of the season.”

Hvid acknowledges that Glentoran are firm favourites to progress to the sixth round of the competition, but he is also wary that the championship outfit will be fired up to cause an upset and showed their teeth earlier in the season after taking Glentoran to penalties in the County Antrim Shield.

Glentoran prevailed on that occasion and Hvid is prepared for another stern test.

“We know we’ll be firm favourites going into this tie, but it’s cup football, and the Welders will be doing everything they can to cause an upset and secure a scalp against us,” added the 20-year-old.

“That’s why we need to be at our very best and approach this game with the same intensity and focus we bring to any match. We’ve analysed how they play, and they’ve got some really strong players, particularly in their attacking positions, so we’ll need to be at the top of our game defensively.

“We’ve been preparing well, and the goal is simple - book our place in the draw for the next round. Friday night under the lights at The Blanchflower Stadium will be a fantastic occasion. It’s a local derby game and we’re determined to deliver a strong performance for our supporters and start the New Year in the best way possible.”

Hvid has established himself in the Oval club’s defence and has already made 27 appearances since joining from Millwall’s U21 squads last summer, scoring three goals.

“I’m absolutely loving my football here at Glentoran,” he said. “This is a fantastic club, and the supporters have been incredible from the moment I arrived. “Coming from the Under-21s at Millwall, it’s been a big step up, but I feel like I’ve improved so much already.

“Working under Declan Devine has been a massive help for me. He’s a brilliant manager who constantly pushes me to improve and get the best out of myself. His belief in me has been huge and I feel like I’m learning and developing every day.”