Irish League legend reflects on Irish Cup highs - and 'absolutely cruel' final defeat
When it comes to selecting Irish Cup highlights, David Jeffrey has plenty of options to choose from considering he won the competition seven times as Linfield manager – but there’s one triumph that stands above the rest for the Irish League legend.
Having suffered defeat in multiple Irish Cup finals as a player, Jeffrey first got his hands on the famous trophy after the Blues defeated Portadown 2-1 in the 2001/02 showpiece decider at Windsor Park thanks to Chris Morgan’s brace.
Four years later, Peter Thompson was Linfield’s hero, netting twice in their 2-1 victory over bitter ‘Big Two’ rivals Glentoran – it marked a first competition win over the Glens since 1945.
It’s that afternoon on May 6, 2006 which sits as Jeffrey’s most special Irish Cup triumph after it completed a perfect season – Linfield finished 12 points clear at the Premiership summit and also won the League Cup and Co Antrim Shield.
Jeffrey went on to lift the Irish Cup on another five occasions – the last of which came in 2011/12 – and recorded six league-cup doubles, but has outlined with 2006 was extra sweet.
"As a player, this competition was an absolute nightmare for me!” said Jeffrey on BBC Sportsound. “I remember being beaten in finals playing for Linfield and Ards.
"Thankfully, when it came to being a manager, it gave me some great days. Irish Cup final day is the best day in local football – if you win it. It’s horrible if you lose it.
"My best cup memory is victory over Glentoran in the 2005/06 clean sweep year.
"Linfield hadn’t beaten Glentoran (since 1945) and it was crazy because we had already bagged three trophies, but coming into that Irish Cup final, if we had lost it would have felt what we had done in terms of the league, League Cup and Co Antrim Shield counted for nothing.
"That particular year we were tremendous and it completed a clean sweep, but it also got rid of the Glentoran hoodoo. It was a fabulous day and it’s the best in my memory.”
Alongside the highs, Jeffrey also suffered some crushing Irish Cup lows, including in 2021/22 when his Ballymena United side lost out to Crusaders, who equalised in the dying seconds of normal time before Johnny McMurray scored a 121st-minute winner.
It was a repeat of the same final 12 months later when the Crues ran out comfortable 4-0 winners at Windsor Park, which proved to be Jeffrey’s final match in charge of the Sky Blues.
"The worst (Irish Cup memory) was when I was managing Ballymena United and the defeat to Crusaders in 2022,” added Jeffrey. “It was absolutely cruel.
"I’m not going to mention the referee’s name, but to this day I’m very clear in my mind that there was more time played than needed to be or merited to be played.
"Crusaders equalised in injury time of normal time and then they scored the winner in injury time of extra time.
"That was absolutely gut-wrenching, particularly for our chairman John Taggart and Don Stirling, god rest him, who was our vice-chair.
"Two wonderful, incredible footballing men and I felt gutted that we didn’t succeed on that particular day.”