SUPERCUPNI 2025: County Armagh set up Junior final date with County Antrim following Celtic success

First up, the Junior section and it was Co Antrim who got things going with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over St. Pat’s Athletic at the Coleraine Showgrounds.

The sides were evenly matched in a scoreless first half, but whatever the Antrim boss said at half-time certainly had the desired effect as they took the lead almost immediately after the restart.

Michael Mulholland, who has been superb all this week and one to watch for the future, raced onto a long ball before smashing it low and hard into the bottom left-hand corner of Athletics’ net.

With St. Pat’s caught off guard for the goal Antrim continued to press their foot on the accelerator, and on 50 minutes had their second.

Senan Wright was the first to react when the ball was smartly played across goal from the right, knocking home from five yards. Then just four minutes later the game was complete as a contest when Wright, once more, sprinted onto a blocked clearance, before he rounded the keeper and slotted into the net to make sure of a final place for his side.

In the day’s other semi-final, Co Armagh won a real ding-dong battle 5-4 against Scottish Giants Celtic at Anderson Park, with an amazing eight goals coming in the opening half.

Alfie Davidson helped himself to a brace for the Orchard County, with goals also coming from Will Davison, Ethan Connolly and Eoghan Mallon.

Celtic’s Zion Pullan grabbed two of his own, but it wasn’t to be for the mini-hoops as Armagh hung on for a famous win and all to play for in tomorrow’s final.

In other games, Tyrone beat Fermanagh 2-0 to reach tomorrow’s Vase Final where they will meet Co Derry, who overcame West Ham 2-1.

Crewe Alexandra will meet Charlton Athletic in the Bowl showpiece after they both won out in their respective semi-finals.

Finally, Blackburn Rovers will come up against Co Down in the Globe Final after the Rovers beat Bohemians 5-2, whilst Down had a superb 3-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspurs.

There was drama in the boys’ Minor section today as both semi-finals went to penalty kicks; and it was the two local sides, Linfield and Cliftonville, who emerged to make tomorrow’s final.

Starting at Anderson Park, where Cliftonville faced Shamrock Rovers, neither side could make a breakthrough in a scoreless first half, that produced more fouls than goalmouth action. However, the second period was when the game came to life.

After a positive opening play from Rovers, it was they who opened the scoring, when their number 10 rifled home a sweet volley into the corner of the Reds’ goal.

The north Belfast outfit thought they had drawn level in the final minutes after a smart delivery into the box and a great header, but it was somehow kept out by the Dubliners’ goalkeeper.

Cliftonville threw everything in attack and in dramatic fashion won a penalty in stoppage time. Under huge pressure up stepped their number 10 once more and he smashed the ball home to make it 1-1 and send the game into penalties.

The shootout was a fantastic display of kicks from both sides, but it was Cliftonville who eventually ran out winners 7-6 to the delight of their fans.

It was a similar story in the other semi-final where Linfield reigned supreme from the spot after a 2-2 draw with Blackburn Rovers.

Rovers opened the scoring on 22 minutes, when their number 16 struck a superb effort from the right side of the penalty box that looped over the Linfield keeper and into the far corner of the net. Just two minutes later and it was two. After the ball cannoned back of the crossbar, it fell to the feet of Jacob Lyds and he made no mistake from six yards.

Ten minutes into the second period, Linfield had a lifeline when they scored via an own goal by the Blackburn goalkeeper who dropped the ball into the goal after attempting to collect a corner.

Then with just two minutes remaining the Linfield number seven scored from close range after a super run and cross from the right.

And it was the Belfast team that won 7-6 in another marathon shootout affair, with the young Blues’ goalkeeper the hero, with a superb match-winning save to set up an all-Belfast Cup final.

Elsewhere in the section, Coleraine will meet Leeds United in the Globe Final after seeing off Kilmarnock 3-0, while United defeated Ballymena 3-0 at the Warren.

Loughgall will meet Al Jazira in the Vase Final after defeating Crusaders 5-0 in an impressive semi-final showing.

Finally, Ross County will meet IDA Bermuda in tomorrow’s Bowl Final after they scraped past Surf Select 1-0 at Kells. Bermuda defeated Glenavon 1-0 at the same venue.