Former Northern Ireland international helps club set up Windsor Park cup final date

It certainly did for Dergview Reserves on Tuesday night at Holm Park in their Irish Junior Cup victory with former Northern Ireland international Ivan Sproule burying his spot kick to help secure a 6-5 success against defending champions Coalisland Athletic after the game had finished 0-0.

Ivan’s younger brother Andy, who is also player-manager, held his nerve as did former Dungannon Swifts man Johnny Lafferty to set up a Windsor Park cup final date with Harryville Homers.

It will bring 42-year-old Ivan back to a location he knows well having represented his country 11 times and played for Linfield during a career which brought him to Scotland and England.

This is Andy’s first role in management after taking on the job last summer and he says it’s a massive help having someone of Ivan’s experience – who also took charge of Dergview’s first team between October 2018 and May 2021 – there to bounce ideas off,

"Our family have a big connection with Dergview and the whole family were watching and supporting,” said Andy. “We all know what Ivan can do and the quality he has for his age and how he has looked after himself is a credit to him.

"It's good for the lads to play with someone of that experience because it really helps them.

"He gives great advice to the players and to myself. You have to take advice off people like that when they've played at that standard.

"He sees it himself with the group we have that the boys have the quality to be successful. It's about having that mentality, heart and desire to go and do it.

"You've got yourself to a final and you can celebrate all you want but it's about going to win it. Nobody remembers the team that were unlucky that year.

"He keeps saying this is his last year but I don't know about that there! Ivan has three wee boys and they are football mad too so it can be hard to juggle that.

"You want to spend time with your kids and see them develop. With his age, training and stuff like that there you can't push them men and it's about getting the balance right. It has been working out for us so far."

Sproule has also previously played at Windsor Park himself in Dergview’s 5-0 defeat to Linfield in the 2013/14 Irish Cup fifth round – a match where Ivan was on the opposition.

He feels the club have “unfinished business” in the Irish Junior Cup having reached the final twice previously without winning and is looking to put that right.

"It's going to be special for the club,” he added. “We played Linfield in the Irish Cup and Ivan was actually playing for them at that time!

"It was a great occasion even though we were beaten 5-0. The whole day in general at Windsor Park was massive for the club.

"This cup has a bit of unfinished business for the club. They've never won the Irish Junior. They have been to two finals but were beaten in them and then Dergview wanted to move up the leagues so we went into Intermediate.

"It has been a long time coming so hopefully this will be the third time lucky and we can get it over the line.

"Everybody in the club is rooting for us and the fans were first class at the match and have been all season. The support was part of the reason we got over the line in the semi-final and the club has always had great support."