There was to be no giant-killing tonight in east Belfast as Premiership side Glentoran saw off Championship team H&W Welders 4-2 in an exciting fifth-round tie of the Clearer Water Irish Cup.
In a to-and-fro tie it was Glentoran who opened the scoring through James Singleton, before Ewan McCoubrey equalised. McCoubrey grabbed a second early in the second half, before the Glens’ made their experience pay with further goals from David Fisher, an own-goal from Lewis Patterson, and Frankie Hvid.
Declan Devine’s side are now unbeaten in eight games.
In a frenetic opening to the game, both sides went close to scoring within the opening eight minutes.
First, Welders’ keeper Jack Mills thwarted a Dylan Connolly effort before Glens’ stopper dived to his left to stop Brandon Doyle’s on-target effort, and the action didn’t stop there as the visitors’ grabbed the opener on 11 minutes.
A trademark Danny Amos corner was headed home by Singleton from point-blank range to break the deadlock after some poor defending by the home side.
The goal certainly did not dampen the spirits of Paul Kee’s side, and they were back on level terms just 12 minutes later.
On-form striker Tiarnan O’Connor’s shot took a deflection off Kodi Lyons-Foster which fell perfectly for McCoubrey and the midfielder neatly lobbed the ball over an advancing Mills.
As the half progressed both sides seemed to take a well-earned breather, with the tempo dropping. Jordan Jenkins went close to supplying important crosses, but on both occasions the Welders’ defence held firm as the half finished all square.
If the crowd had feared the second period may start on a flat footing they couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Less than 20 seconds after the restart McCoubrey grabbed his second of the evening after O’Connor cleverly back-heeled the ball through the legs of Hvid and into the path of McCoubrey who made no mistake.
However, the Glens were not to be outdone and were back on level terms once more just 12-minutes later. Singleton’s cross was only half cleared to Jonny Russell whose returned header was smashed home by Fisher much to the delight of the away fans.
The game was then totally turned on its head on 70 minutes. After more neat wide play from Jenkins down the left, his delivery into the box was inadvertently turned home by Welders’ defender Patterson, who was trying to clear the danger.
The tie was then all but ended seven minutes later when Hvid nodded home from 10 yards after a Amos shot was well saved from Mills in the Welders’ goal.
Craig Harris could have grabbed a consolation on 83 minutes, but his header from eight yards flew just wide of the Glentoran goal as the visitors’ progress to round six.
The sixth-round draw takes place tomorrow evening.
H&W Welders:
Mills, Patterson, O’Kane, Doyle, Harris, Kee, O’Connor, McAleenan, McMullan, McCoubrey, Kearns.
Subs: McCarthy, D O’Kane, McCloskey, Robinson, McClay, Mitchell, Mearns.
Glentoran:
Mills, Lyons-Foster, Hvid, Sule, Connolly, Palmer, Fisher, Amos, Singleton, Jenkins, Douglas.
Subs: Gyollai, Donnelly, Wassim, Murphy, Lindsay, Russell, Thorndike.