Mick McDermott feels Glentoran are ahead of schedule

The Glens head coach, whose arrival at the club heralded a new chapter in the Oval outfit’s history, feels they are ahead of schedule in their long-term plans.

With the club’s financial future secured with the investment from Ali Pour, the next target is to build success on the pitch.

Even though it has come earlier than they thought, McDermott feels it is a bonus to reach this final but he is hoping they secure the trophy and the rewards that go with it.

“It would be massive to win the Irish Cup, as it would be for any club,” he said.

“For Ballymena and us to get to the final is outstanding.

“Some people forget Ballymena were runners-up in the league last year with basically the same team.

“They went through a hard spell but to get to the final is brilliant and for us it is the same.

“Our club was struggling financially and it was ever-decreasing circles, if you want to put it that way, it was a downward spiral.

“The people who were running it were doing their best but to get to a final in year one was not one of our goals. To get there is a bonus.

“The underdog tag we had at the start of the season, for me, remains. You start the project in a bad way, there was a lack of hope, and the hope grew during the season but that doesn’t change where we came from.

“On April 1 last year, taking the last five league games and the two play-off games, then taking control of the club on July 5, assembling a squad that was competitive at the start of the season and reshuffling the squad in January, not just to strengthen for the run-in, but for the future.

“To end up where we are on Friday is a bonus and to pick up the trophy would be a massive achievement, just to show the fans we are moving in the right direction and the rewards that go with it in terms of European football would be brilliant.”

The Glens are many pundits’ favourites to go on and lift the trophy tonight, but McDermott doesn’t feel Ballymena are right to be labelled as underdogs.

“Be under no illusions, Ballymena have a good squad,” he said.

“I remember reading Glentoran were potential relegation fodder, there’s even a song about us going down.

“So from July 5 to now, for us to arrive here, you don’t become the favourite for performing well for a bit. We have accomplished nothing.

“Nobody will remember in 10 years’ time that we were in the final in 2020 if we don’t win it.

“For me, we are moving in the right direction, if we win it it is likely to put us on a different trajectory but I don’t buy Ballymena being clear underdogs.

“My players will not be preparing like we are clear favourites.

“When I look into my players’ eyes I see boys hungry to win this and we won’t take our foot off the pedal because we haven’t won anything since 2015.

“It’s the team who won a game in Europe last year and finished second in the league, against a side who haven’t won a trophy since 2015, that’s how I’m looking at it.”

Irish Cup finals are normally played out in front of a packed Windsor Park, but given the current situation on a small number of fans from both sides will be present.

McDermott admits it will be a different experience for the clubs.

“It will be surreal. Semi-finals are always tricky because you are so close but so far away,” he said.

“They can be nervous and anxious and it can be draining for energy levels.

“But a final is a final and energy levels will be high for a while.

“I didn’t really notice the fans weren’t there, to be honest, because once the game starts, you are consumed by that.

“I’m sure the players didn’t once the game started but it does have an effect at some points because of the swings in a game. In the UK fans cheer throw-ins and corners late the game; that’s unique to UK football.

“That doesn’t get a cheer anywhere else and that makes the atmosphere here brilliant. So it probably will have some type of an effect but the players will be focused on playing and trying to get their hands on that trophy.

“You saw the Liverpool celebrations last week, and I’m sure it was disappointing to do that in an empty stadium. It was strange but that might be when it hits them, whatever captain lifts the trophy.”

McDermott has been nursing his side through the last 96 hours leading into the final. He knows he will have tough decisions to make with regards to team selection, but accepts it’s part and parcel of the game.

“This Irish Cup squad for us isn’t so difficult because it is not as big. There are cup-tied players; Seanan Clucas is out, Caolan Marron is out, Andy Mitchell is out,” he said.

“If those boys were available in the cup, I’d have really hard decisions to make. But to be honest, it’s not something I thought about until after the semi-final.

“Leaving someone out doesn’t bother me too much; I’ve been left out as a player. But some players you have to explain it to and others just deal with it.

“Young players might be disappointed and old players might need it explained to them.

“I don’t enjoy doing it but it’s something that has to be done.”

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