Harps paired with favourites Coalisland Athletic

STRATHROY Harps will face Coalisland Athletic for a place in this year’s fonaCAB Irish Junior Cup final.

At Wednesday evening’s draw the Tyrone teams were paired together with Crumlin Star seconds and Bangor YM meeting in the other semi-final.

It’s been an impressive campaign for the Harps thus far, having accounted for the likes of Harryville Homers and Enniskillen Town United, but Benny Boyle will know that the last four tie against Athletic will be their biggest test yet.

Athletic have proved themselves the team to beat in this season’s competition and the Mid Ulster outfit underlined their credentials by defeating NFC Kesh and Tummery Athletic 3-0 and 4-1 in the last-16 and quarter-finals respectively.

Dates and venues have yet to be confirmed for the semi-final ties.

Harps have also been handed a tough draw in the quarter-finals of the Mulhern Cup.

In Thursday night’s draw by the Fermanagh and Western FA, the Omagh side were handed an away draw to the winners of the Killen Rangers versus NFC Kesh last-16 clash.

In the other quarter-final draws Enniskillen Rangers will meet either neighbours Enniskillen Town or Enniskillen Rovers while Augher Stars will host the winners of Irvinestown Wanderers against Beragh Swifts.

The last-eight tie involving Magheraveely and Mountjoy United will not be played until Tummery Athletic’s appeal against their expulsion for playing four substitutes instead of the regulation three in their second round clash with Derrychara United has been heard by an IFA appeals board.

If Tummery won their case they will play Mountjoy for the right to face Magheraveely but if their appeal is dismissed then David Rennie’s team will make the long journey trip to Fermanagh.

Town banned

Enniskillen Town United have meanwhile been banned from next season’s Irish Junior Cup for their part in the abandoned quarter-final clash against Strathroy Harps.

The tie was abandoned in the final minute by the match official who claimed he had been assaulted after disallowing Town a last-gasp equaliser at Omagh Leisure Complex. Harps were leading 2-1 at the time.