Irish Cup: Kearney urges Coleraine to 'write new experiences' ahead of Cliftonville cup double bill

Coleraine boss Oran Kearney has called on his side to go and "write new experiences" as they prepare for a nine-day period that is bookended by big cup games against Cliftonville.

Kearney's men face the Reds at Solitude in Friday's Irish Cup quarter-final.

The teams will then swiftly renew hostilities in the League Cup final at Windsor Park on 13 March.

"I think we can take a lot from our record in cup competitions of recent years," said Kearney.

"Over the last few seasons and this season as well, we're in the final of the League Cup, we're in the quarter-finals of the Irish Cup, we've shown that pedigree in cup competitions and there's a hunger and a desire to go even further."

Coleraine beat Cliftonville in the 2018 Irish Cup final and triumphed in the most recent League Cup decider by overcoming Crusaders in February 2020, with last season's competition cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the Bannsiders well adrift in the Irish Premiership title race, the two cup competitions represent their most realistic chance to collect silverware this term, but Kearney feels recent success has instilled in his players a hunger to add to their trophy cabinet.

"When you've been through what we've been through in the last few seasons of winning cups and winning games in Europe, it gives you that hunger of wanting to do it again," he added.

"That should be in our changing room from the vicarious experiences we had in the past.

"But it's so important go and write new experiences and the only way to do that is to go and win games like Friday."

Coleraine have already met Cliftonville three times in the league this season with the north Belfast side having picked up seven points from a possible nine.

It is a hectic period for both teams. Coleraine drew at home to Larne on Tuesday and will face Crusaders at Seaview just five days before the League Cup final, while Cliftonville face Glentoran in a huge top-of-the-table clash at the Oval on the same night.

And Kearney, who benched Lyndon Kane and James McLaughlin against Larne to avoid the pair picking up yellow cards which would have ruled them out of Friday's trip to Solitude, expressed frustration at his side playing league games in the build-up to both cup matches.

"It's just disappointing and frustrating, we roll into a cup final next week after playing on the Tuesday and I appreciate everyone plays on the Tuesday and Cliftonville do too before the final.

"But for cup competitions and big showpieces like that, you generally find that in most leagues across the world you'd have a free week going into that and you can prepare properly for it.

"We're in a massive two weeks of the season but in that we're playing every three days and we can hardly grab a training session in it. But we'll deal with that."

While Coleraine drew with Larne, Cliftonville approach Friday's quarter-final on the back of an impressive 3-1 derby win over Crusaders on Saturday.

That result kept alive the Reds' hopes of landing their first Premiership title since 2014 while victory on Friday will edge them closer to a first Irish Cup triumph since 1979.

With the League Cup decider to come, Cliftonville appear in good shape as they push for silverware on three fronts and boss Paddy McLaughlin admits landing a trophy would be a fitting conclusion to a season in which his part-time squad have been "pushed to the maximum".

"It's good that we're still in touch with all three competitions," said McLaughlin, who led the club to County Antrim Shield success in 2020.

"It's great for the supporters, they've been fantastic in my time here and the players, some of them are enjoying the best football of their careers and playing in a really strong side.

"It's good for them to stay in all three competitions and hopefully they'll get a reward with some kind of silverware at the end of it all because they've worked so hard against the odds every week."

Cliftonville boast the best home record in the Premiership this season, having taken 40 points from 16 games, and McLaughlin believes the Solitude setting against Coleraine could be decisive.

"The home advantage is key for us," added the Derryman, who was speaking after being named the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association's manager of the month for February.

"Big home support, you've seen the difference it's made to us this year with the new surface and the big crowds, our home form has been fantastic.

"It's key that we got the home advantage but we've still got to go and do the business."

Friday's game at Solitude raises the curtain on an exciting weekend of Irish Cup action with Glentoran hosting Championship pacesetters Newry City, Crusaders hosting Dungannon Swifts and Ballymena United welcoming Larne to the Showgrounds on Saturday.