Linfield boss David Healy confirmed that new signing Kieran Offord will be in contention for Friday night's game at the Oval.

Offord arrives at the Blues from St Mirren after spending the first half of the season on loan at Crusaders, where he scored 14 goals in the league and cup competitions.

He missed Tuesday's 2-1 win against his former side as his international clearance did not come through in time.

"He'll be fit and available for selection on Friday night," Healy told BBC Sport NI.

"He's a player that we think highly of in terms of not only what he can do in the here and now but also going forward for this football club."

Healy downplayed the fact that Linfield will be up against their rivals for a fifth time this season, instead focusing on the need to reach the quarter-finals of a competition they last won in 2021.

"I think it means more to progress. It doesn't matter if it was Glentoran or Wellington Rec who we played in the last round. It's important to be in the next round."

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Glentoran boss Declan Devine isn't guaranteeing the club's fans victory in tonight's big Irish Cup tie against Linfield but is predicting there will be no repeat of last March's semi-final flop against the Blues.

Devine's fury after last season's 3-1 defeat was evident but he says this Glens team some 10 months on is a totally different animal.

His view is borne out by his side's three wins and a draw in their four contests against Linfield this season even though the Blues are a seemingly out-of-sight 19 points clear at the top of the Irish Premiership table as the Glens sit in second spot.

Since Glentoran beat Linfield 3-1 at Windsor Park on 4 October, the only other defeats for David Healy's side came at home to Cliftonville on 26 October and at The Oval in late November as the Blues have put together an otherwise superb Premiership run of 12 wins and a draw, with the latter the Boxing Day 0-0 stalemate at the Oval.

"Playing in a semi-final and you didn't work anywhere near hard enough to get to an Irish Cup final," Glens boss Devine shook his head when questioned about last year's semi-final defeat by his team's Big Two rivals.

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Good evening and welcome to our coverage of tonight's Irish Cup sixth round tie between Glentoran and Linfield at the Oval.

The game will be live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website from 19:30 GMT.

Runaway Irish Premiership leaders Linfield are aiming to pick up their first win of the season against rivals Glentoran in any competition at the fifth attempt.

The Glens meanwhile, are hoping to continue their good record against the Blues and atone for their Irish Cup semi-final exit at the hands of Linfield last season.

We will have live text commentary and in-play clips of all the action, with a report, highlights and reaction to follow.

Thanks for joining us - enjoy!

Image source, Pacemaker Press