Irish Cup: Championship sides Newington and Ballyclare shock top-flight Newry City and Dungannon

Championship sides Newington and Ballyclare Comrades secured Irish Cup upsets on Saturday as they defeated Newry City and Dungannon Swifts.

New signing Ruaidhri Donnelly scored twice on his debut as Newington beat Premiership side Newry 2-1 to progress to the Irish Cup quarter-finals.

Comrades came back from 2-1 down to earn a late 3-2 victory over Swifts.

Top flight leading trio Linfield, Larne, Cliftonville all won, along with second tier Portadown and Institute.

Linfield saw off Ballymena United 2-0 in their sixth round tie at Windsor Park, Larne were comfortable 5-0 victors over Glenavon and Cliftonville were emphatic 4-0 winners over Loughgall.

Portadown edged Bangor 2-1 to continue their impressive form in knockout competitions this season, with Institute beating Ards 1-0.

Donnelly scored twice in the space of five first-half minutes to mark his debut with a comeback win after Newry had taken the lead through Brandon Doyle's strike.

Debutant Donnelly struck in the 26th and 31st minute respectively, and despite offering up several opportunities to put the tie to bed, the Championship side held on.

Darius Roohi's late goal sparked the match-winning celebrations for Ballyclare at Stangmore Park.

Roohi got on the end of a Liam Hassin through ball and touched it past Declan Dunne off the post.

Cahal McGinty had given Swifts a first-half lead when he nodded in from a beautifully delivered Kealan Dillon free-kick but Ballyclare captain Gary Donnelly levelled on 70 when he floated a free-kick from the left all the way into the corner past Declan Dunne.

Thomas Maguire edged Dungannon in front, then Alan McMurtry fired into the bottom corner, before that late winner.

Blues advance to last eight

Linfield's quest for a 45th Irish Cup continues as David Healy's side got the better of Ballymena United.

Goals from Chris McKee in the first half and Chris Shields in the second secured the win.

Linfield broke the deadlock on 14 minutes, as McKee was in the right place at the right time. The forward couldn't miss from six yards out after Kirk Millar's shot-come-cross was deflected into his path.

Ballymena United came out in the second half and looked the more threatening, but they were dealt a hammer blow midway through the half as Stephen McCullough brought McKee down from behind inside the area.

Shields stepped up for the Blues and doubled their lead on 65 minutes, sending Sean O'Neill the wrong way by finding the bottom left-hand corner.

Larne convincing winners

Larne's pursuit of a first ever Irish Cup triumph continues as they cruised into the last eight by thrashing Glenavon 5-0 at Inver Park.

Larne went in front eight minutes before the interval when Sean Graham's pinpoint through ball sent Lee Bonis racing clear and he rounded keeper Gareth Deane. He still had a fair bit of work to do but he cleverly dummied a defender before finding the net with an assured finish.

Bonis doubled his and Larne's tally on 42 minutes when he ran onto a long ball from Levi Ives and took advantage of hesitation between defender Danny Wallace and keeper Gareth Deane to get between the Glenavon pair and head into an unguarded net.

Wallace was again culpable for Larne's third goal on 52 minutes as he failed to cut out Bonis' flicked header and Andy Ryan showed great hunger to get to the loose ball ahead of Deane and slide the ball home.

Glenavon's day went from bad to worse just short of the hour mark when defender Isaac Baird pulled back Andy Ryan inside the penalty area and was red-carded, with Ryan sending Gareth Deane the wrong way from the resultant penalty.

Bonis completed his hat-trick on 77 minutes when, after some intricate build-up play, substitute Paul O'Neill unselfishly squared for Bonis to smash home from close range.

Reds ease past Loughgall

At Solitude, Joe Gormley broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute with his ninth of the season when the frontman was fed just inside the visitors penalty area by Ronan Hale, and he made no mistake, slotting past a helpless Berratt Turker to give the Reds the lead.

Two goals in three minutes from Ronan and Rory Hale gave the home side firm control of the tie.

Ronan gave the Reds a two-goal cushion via a deflection off Pablo Andrade, before brother Rory grabbed his eighth of the season after a clever turn past Robbie Norton earned the midfielder space in the area to fire into Turker's top left-hand corner to give Dean Smith's side an impossible task.

Ronan Hale would grab his 12th of the season after Sam Ashford unselfishly teed up the frontman with eight minutes remaining.

The Villagers had chances of their own in the first half to open the scoring through Ben Magee and Caolan McAleer, but it was Andrew Hoey who spurned the visitors' best chance of the opening 45 minutes when the former Armagh City man headed wide from close range with the goal at his mercy.

Ports still unbeaten in cups

Niall Currie's men remain unbeaten in all cup competitions so far this season after beating Bangor at Shamrock Park.

It was the perfect start to the game for the home side who opened the scoring after just five minutes when Zach Barr controlled Kenny Kane's pass from the left flank before his strong strike flew past the outstretched James Taylor.

Ben Arthurs levelled the tie on the 19th minute after he headed Tiarnan Mulvenna's inswinging corner into the back of the net.

Portadown restored their lead on the 79th minute when Kane's cross into the box was cleared but only as far as substitute Gary Thompson whose pass found Barr, who headed home from close range.

Stute edge past Ards

Championship leaders Institute are through to the last eight of the Irish Cup after a hard earned 1-0 win over Ards at the Brandywell.

A fourth goal in his last three games from captain Mikhail Kennedy and an inspired goalkeeping display from Gareth Muldoon got them over the line.

The home side hit the front after just eight minutes through the in-form Kennedy. Michael Harris made great strides down the right wing before crossing to the near post where Kennedy stooped to head home from close range.

Ards responded positively to the early setback and Ethan Taggart forced a smart save out of Gareth Muldoon before Eamon Scannell's cheeky lob went just the wrong side of the post.

The visitors were handed a great chance to draw level six minutes after the break but Callum Dougan's penalty was well saved by an inspired Gareth Muldoon.

And the stopper again came to his side's rescue in added time as he dived full stretch to his left to parry Eamon Scannell's goal bound volley.

So it's the north side who progress, the four time Irish Cup winners Ards who bow out.