Ten Irish Cup finals to remember from the last 65 years

With the football season on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, Northern Ireland 'stat king' Marshall Gillespie has been crunching the numbers and combing the game's archives.

This week, it is time to recall 10 noteworthy Irish Cup finals.

Marshall recounts a couple of shock triumphs for final underdogs as he peruses deciders from the last 65 years.

Enjoy the trip down memory lane.

1955 - Dundela 3-0 Glenavon

When Glenavon met Irish Alliance side Dundela in the 1955 Irish Cup decider they were considered overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.

The Lurgan Blues had already secured both the Ulster Cup and City Cup earlier in the campaign and after defeating Glentoran 5-0 in the semi-final it seemed a mere formality that the cup would be heading to Mourneview Park.

As for Dundela, their run started with a win over Newington Rangers in the opening round before disposing of north Belfast duo Cliftonville and Crusaders to reach their first ever Irish Cup final.

Glenavon, who had last appeared in the final in 1940, had an abundance of firepower in their side that day in the form of Jimmy Jones, Johnny Denver and Stewart Campbell who between them had hit staggering 101 goals that season.

However, it was the junior outfit that forged ahead on 20 minutes through Bobby Ervine, and he doubled the lead with his second five minutes from the end.

Right at the death the underdogs capped off a tremendous performance when ex-Glasgow Celtic and Glentoran winger, Tommy Greenwood, fired home a third to cause one of the biggest upsets the competition has ever seen.

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1969 - (Replay) Ards 4-2 Distillery (aet)

After a forgettable goalless draw in the first meeting between the teams striker Billy McAvoy literally came to the 'fore' to give Ards a memorable victory in a midweek replay watched by 17,000 spectators at Windsor Park.

Distillery played their part in a terrific contest though going in at the break a goal to the good thanks to former Leicester City midfielder Gerry McCaffrey.

McAvoy, who had already being crowned Ulster Footballer of the Year for that season, equalised for Ards with his first of the evening just three minutes after the interval.

A minute later the Whites regained the lead through Joe Conlon only for McAvoy to equalise for a second time just before the hour mark.

Extra-time ensued, and the 21-year-old McAvoy, who had represented Northern Ireland at youth, amateur and U23 level, gave Ards the lead for the first time in the match when he completed his hat-trick in the 104th minute.

Within minutes he grabbed his fourth to create a little bit of history by becoming the first player to score four goals in an Irish Cup final for the first time since Joe Bambrick achieved the same feat for Linfield against Ballymena in 1930.

McAvoy subsequently missed Ards last five games of that season after damaging knee ligaments against the Whites, though he still managed to finish the campaign with a highly impressive 41 goals.

1971 - Distillery 3-0 Derry City

After finishing third in the League and having defeated Derry City twice earlier in the season, the Whites were naturally considered firm favourites to run out winners of the competition for the first time in 15 years.

Thirty-five-year-old Derry City player/boss Jimmy Hill, a former Northern Ireland international, had guided his side to wins over Carrick Rangers, Chimney Corner and, rather surprisingly, Linfield to make it through to their sixth Irish Cup decider.

Distillery, whose boss Jimmy McAlinden had won three Irish Cup winners medals as a player with Belfast Celtic, made it through by overcoming Ballyclare Comrades, Glenavon and Coleraine in the semi-finals after a replay.

Distillery did not disappoint though with teenage midfielder and future Northern Ireland captain, Martin O'Neill, setting them on their way with a first-half opener

The Kilrea man added a second just after the break when he went on a mazy run past three players before coolly slotting the ball home and just minutes later Distillery were three up through Jim Savage to seal a deserved victory.

Just five months later O'Neill scored a consolation goal for the Whites in their 3-1 home defeat to Barcelona in the European Cup Winners' Cup, before being snapped up by Nottingham Forest boss Matt Gilles in October 1971 for a fee of £25,000.

1976 - Carrick Rangers 2-1 Linfield

For B Division Carrick Rangers to even reach the Irish Cup Final in 1976 was a huge achievement, but to actually go on and win the trophy and to beat Linfield in the process was just outrageous.

Carrick had played a total of three qualifying matches and a further six in the competition proper to set up a meeting with Roy Coyle's Linfield outfit at the Oval.

Jimmy Brown's boys were considered 100-1 outsiders to lift the cup prior to the start of the competition which saw them go on to defeat Ballymena United, holders Coleraine and Larne.

A 31st Irish Cup win for Linfield seemed a mere formality against a Rangers team they had roundly beaten 6-0 in the semi-final the previous season.

Just 50 seconds into the game and it seemed that all the predictions of a straightforward win for the team from south Belfast would come true as they took the lead through Eric Magee.

But on 25 minutes though former Blues striker Gary Prenter chested the ball into the net for the equaliser and midway through the second half he unbelievably volleyed home from 12 yards to give Rangers a 2-1 victory.

Carrick's unexpected success meant European football the following season which saw them reach the last 16 of the Cup Winners' Cup before going out to Lawrie McMenemy's Southampton 9-3 on aggregate.

1979 - Cliftonville 3-2 Portadown

It was fitting that in their centenary year Cliftonville should celebrate winning the Irish Cup for the first time in seven decades.

After a number of years in the doldrums Reds boss Jackie Hutton was beginning to mould a side at Solitude with a good blend of youth and experience.

The Reds had already won the Co Antrim Shield following a penalty shootout win over north Belfast rivals Crusaders so confidence was high going into the end-of-season decider with the Ports.

The match itself was a thrilling encounter and Portadown were quick out of the traps when inside two minutes former Preston North End striker Jim Campbell put them a goal up.

John Platt, brother of Middlesbrough keeper Jim, equalised for the Reds just after the half-hour mark to leave the sides level at the break.

Immediately after the restart Michael Adair put Cliftonville ahead only for Jim Alexander to square matters on 77 minutes.

However with time running out former Ports striker Tony Bell fired home a dramatic winner to give Cliftonville their first Irish Cup success since 1909.

The north-Belfast outfit have played in four finals since that magical day 41 years ago, but all have ended in defeat.

Paul Hardy hit Ballymena United's winner in the 1989 Irish Cup Final against Larne

1989 - Ballymena United 1-0 Larne

Ballymena United fans will be hoping that this season's Irish Cup can be played to a finish so they can try and end the 31 years of misery since they last lifted the famous old trophy back in 1989.

Manager Alec McKee, who had been in charge at the Showgrounds since September 1987, steered United to the 1989 final after overcoming Distillery, Ballyclare Comrades, Crusaders and eventual League champions Linfield.

It had been a difficult season for the Braidmen who had finished in a lowly ninth position in the league, just a point ahead of Larne, but a semi-final replay victory over Linfield had given them a self confidence that it was their year to bring the cup back to the Showgrounds.

Larne also went into the contest full of hope as they had already reached the final of the Ulster Cup earlier in the season only to go down 5-2 to Glentoran at Windsor Park.

Like most cup finals though, it was a tense affair, but a sheer piece of audacity from Larne-born Paul Hardy, when he back-heeled the ball into the net past 'keeper Vincent Magee, was enough to secure a sixth Irish Cup success for the Braidmen.

Paul Byrne departed for Celtic after scoring Bangor's winner in the 1993 second replay win over their North Down rivals Ards

1993 - Bangor 1-0 Ards (second replay)

Expectations were high of a classic encounter when both of North Down's senior clubs made it through to the 1993 Irish Cup Final.

Bangor, who were making their first appearance in the final since 1938, were riding high after finishing third in the league and defeating Coleraine 3-0 in the League Cup decider just a fortnight earlier.

Meanwhile Paul Malone had put together a free scoring Ards side that had reached both the semi-finals of the Budweiser Cup and League Cup and which had lost 2-0 to Linfield in the Ulster Cup final.

The first encounter at Windsor Park was a dull, drab affair which ended in a 1-1 draw while the replay a week later served up similar fare and also ended up a goal apiece.

The second replay, which was also played at Windsor Park, again failed to live up to expectations and it was left to Dubliner Paul Byrne, a former Arsenal apprentice, to break Ards hearts with a last-minute winner to give the Seasiders the trophy for the first time in their history.

2003 - Coleraine 1-0 Glentoran

Glentoran went into this contest with the Bannsiders aiming to make it a clean sweep of all four domestic trophies that season.

Roy Coyle's side had already won the title by a clear 10 points ahead of Portadown, as well as defeating Linfield and Ballymena United in the League Cup and Co Antrim Shield Finals.

Coleraine, under the guidance of Marty Quinn, had finished a very respectable third in the league and were seeking to lift the Irish Cup for the first time since 1977.

The North West outfit started the stronger and had a goal by future Northern Ireland legend Gareth McAuley, harshly ruled out before top scorer Jody Tolan drilled home an 11th-minute goal, albeit via a deflection off Glentoran striker Andy Smith.

Coleraine continued to dominate the first 45 minutes, however, the Glens came out stronger in the second period and were unlucky not to equalise when Tim McCann twice struck the crossbar.

Although the game itself will not be remembered as a classic, Quinn's charges managed to hold out to end their 26-year wait for Irish Cup success.

2014 - Glenavon 2-1 Ballymena United

This final was significant not just because it was the last to be played at 'the old Windsor Park before its refurbishment, but also because it was Gary Hamilton's first piece of silverware as Glenavon manager.

Hamilton took over as player-boss of the Lurgan Blues in February 2011 after the resignation of Marty Quinn and immediately started a rebuilding programme at Mourneview Park.

Young players such as Rhys Marshall and James Singleton were introduced into the squad along with older heads such as Kris Lindsay and Kyle Neill.

Glenavon were making their first appearance in the final since losing 1-0 to Glentoran in 1998 while Ballymena United were seeking to lift the coveted trophy for the first time in 25 years.

It was the Lurgan side who struck first through when Neill gave them the lead 10 minutes before the interval.

Glenn Ferguson's outfit fought back to level when skipper Allan Jenkins stabbed the ball home from a corner on 71 minutes, but shortly afterwards Mark Patton rifled home the winner from 20 yards to give the Lurgan Blues their first trophy success under Hamilton and a sixth Irish Cup triumph in their history.

The spectacle was slightly marred after referee Raymond Crangle dismissed United's Gary Thompson and Tony Kane and also Glenavon's Gareth McKeown.

2017 - Linfeld 3-0 Coleraine

Linfield strolled to a first League and Cup double under David Healy after Andy Waterworth became the first player since Billy McAvoy in 1969 to score a hat-trick in an Irish Cup Final.

Thirty-one year-old Waterworth, whose hat-trick in the 3-1 victory at Cliftonville the previous week had clinched the Gibson Cup for the Blues, bagged his first of the afternoon when he dispatched a Paul Smyth cross into the net on 29 minutes.

Just four minutes later he slotted home a second and he completed his treble, and a comfortable victory for the Healy's side, when he converted another excellent Paul Smyth cross three minutes from time.

The 3-0 success over Oran Kearney's charges, who had finished in a very respectable third position in the league, was Linfield's third trophy under Healy that season having also landed the Co Antrim Shield with victory over Crusaders back in February.

Not only did Waterworth end the 2016-17 campaign with 30 goals in all competitions, but he also took his personal tally of Irish Cup goals to a remarkable 33.