Lee Forsythe: Ballymacash Rangers beating Larne in County Antrim Shield would be biggest result in history of Irish League football

Ballymacash currently sit top of the Premier Intermediate League having gone 10 matches unbeaten, including Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 triumph over Rathfriland Rangers, but this marks the first time the Lisburn-based club have ever taken on a top-flight outfit in competitive action.

It was only 18 months ago that Forsythe’s men were navigating their way out of Mid-Ulster Intermediate A and they came within touching distance of achieving Championship promotion at the first attempt last season before ultimately losing out to Knockbreda in a play-off.

They are looking to add their name to the list of cup shocks and Forsythe believes leaving Inver Park with victory would eclipse the lot.

"It would be the biggest result in the history of Irish League football,” he said. “There have been shocks before with Newington beating Glentoran, but that Glens team were a poor one and struggling and Queen's beat Linfield a few years ago when they were an established Championship One side.

"I know the cliche is that anything can happen, but we're not even thinking about that. We're just looking to go to put on a good show and not let ourselves down. We'll see where that takes us. We go into every game looking to win and we're not going to hand Larne anything - they'll have to work hard, but we know the quality they have.

"It's a daunting prospect but it's also exciting at the same time - this is why we're in football. You want to be playing the best and striving to be the best, so this is a great test to show us where we want to get to.

"I'm interested to see who steps up, which players have the mentality. Larne will have better technical players than us, but they shouldn't be working harder than us, try more or run faster, and that's what we're asking of the players."

Forsythe knows all about the might of Larne having came up against them a number of times while in charge of Knockbreda, including one harrowing 8-0 defeat in February 2018 when Tiernan Lynch’s side scored seven second-half goals.

"We'll be telling the players to go out and enjoy it because they are getting an opportunity to play against the best in the country,” he added. “We know it's going to be really difficult, but we're in football for moments like this and we want to savour every minute because it's a great occasion for the club.

"It'll be nice for me to rub shoulders with Tiernan again, nice for the players to see the standard and the professionalism of them. I'm looking forward to soaking everything in and watching how Larne do things and I think it's brilliant for us.

"It's the first time the club has been in the County Antrim Shield and it's the stuff of dreams really when you look at where we were 18 months ago playing in the Mid-Ulster League and now we're having an opportunity to play against the best in the country.

"We have to enjoy it and it's a complete and utter free hit for us. We've a big league game away to Queen's on Saturday and that's our priority, so it's not a game to fear.”