2014–15 Northern Ireland Football League Cup

Football tournament season

2014–15 Northern Ireland Football League CupWASP Solutions League Cup

Tournament details
Country|  Northern Ireland
Teams| 41
Defending champions| Cliftonville
Final positions
Champions| Cliftonville (4th win)
Runner-up| Ballymena United
Tournament statistics
Matches played| 40
Goals scored| 163 (4.08 per match)

<- 2013–14

2015–16 ->

The 2014–15 Northern Ireland Football League Cup (known as the WASP Solutions League Cup for sponsorship purposes)[1] was the 29th edition of the Northern Ireland Football League Cup, Northern Ireland's secondary football knockout cup competition, and the second season of the competition under the control of the Northern Ireland Football League. It was contested by the 12 members of the NIFL Premiership and the 29 members of the NIFL Championship. The competition began on 12 August 2014 with the first round, and concluded on 24 January 2015 with the final.

Cliftonville were the defending champions, after they retained the trophy by defeating Crusaders 3–2 on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time in the 2014 final to win the cup for the second consecutive season.[2] This season, Cliftonville successfully retained the Cup once again, defeating Ballymena United 3–2 in the final to win the Cup for the third consecutive season and the fourth time overall.[3] They became only the second club to win the competition in three consecutive seasons, emulating Linfield's feat of three consecutive wins in 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000.

## Format

[edit]

The competition was played in a straight knockout format and was open to all members of the NIFL Premiership and both divisions of the NIFL Championship. The top 16 ranked clubs from last season received byes into the second round, which included the 12 members of the 2013–14 NIFL Premiership and the top four ranked clubs from the 2013–14 NIFL Championship. Of the remaining 25 Championship clubs, 18 of them entered the competition in the first round, with the other seven given byes into the second round. Replays were not used in the competition, with all matches using extra time and penalties to determine the winner if necessary.

Round  | Draw date  | First match date  | Fixtures  | Clubs

|
|
|
|

First round  | 24 July 2014  | 12 August 2014  | 9  | 41 → 32
Second round  | 13 August 2014  | 25 August 2014  | 16  | 32 → 16
Third round  | 30 August 2014  | 7 October 2014  | 8  | 16 → 8
Quarter-finals  | 11 October 2014  | 11 November 2014  | 4  | 8 → 4
Semi-finals  | 15 November 2014  | 16 December 2014  | 2  | 4 → 2
Final  | N/A  | 24 January 2015  | 1  | 2 → 1

### Changes from 2013–14

[edit]

Killymoon Rangers were relegated from the NIFL Championship at the end of the previous season, and were replaced in the competition by Dollingstown, who made their League Cup debut this season following their promotion to the Championship for the first time. The number of competing clubs in the League Cup fell by one to 41 this season following Chimney Corner's resignation from the Championship. In July 2014, the club announced that they would be resigning to join the Ballymena & Provincial League for the 2014–15 season.[4] As a result, the first round of the competition was adjusted to contain nine matches and seven byes, instead of the usual ten matches and six byes to make up the requisite number of 32 clubs in the second round.

## First round

[edit]

The draw for the first round was made randomly and included 25 of the 29 NIFL Championship clubs, with the top four ranked clubs from the 2013–14 NIFL Championship not entering until the second round. 7 of the 25 Championship clubs received a bye into the second round, leaving the remaining 18 Championship clubs in the first round to play a total of nine ties. The draw took place on 24 July 2014, with the matches being played on 12 August 2014. The seven clubs to receive byes were: Ballymoney United, Dollingstown, Donegal Celtic, Harland & Wolff Welders, Larne, Lisburn Distillery and Wakehurst.[5]

Team 1  |  Score | Team 2

|
|

12 August 2014
Annagh United (3)  | 4–2
Report | Dergview (2)
Ballyclare Comrades (2)  | 1–0
Report | Limavady United (3)
Banbridge Town (3)  | 1–2  | Newington YC (3)
Coagh United (3)  | 1–3  | Carrick Rangers (2)
Glebe Rangers (3)  | 4–1
Report | Lurgan Celtic (3)
Loughgall (2)  | 8–2  | Tobermore United (3)
Moyola Park (3)  | 1–1 (aet)
(5–4 p)  | Sport & Leisure Swifts (3)
Portstewart (3)  | 5–0  | Queen's University (3)
PSNI (2)  | 2–1  | Armagh City (2)

## Second round

[edit]

The second round draw was completed on 13 August 2014, with the matches played on 25 August 2014. The draw was made up of the remaining 32 clubs, with a seeding system in place for this round. The 12 members of the 2013–14 NIFL Premiership entered this round as seeds, along with the top four ranked clubs from the 2013–14 NIFL Championship. The nine winners from the first round matches, and the seven clubs to receive byes into the second round were unseeded.[6]

| Team 1  |  Score | Team 2

|
|

25 August 2014
Annagh United (3)  | 2–5  | Portadown (1)
Ballyclare Comrades (2)  | 1–0  | Linfield (1)
Ballymena United (1)  | 3–0  | Newington YC (3)
Ballymoney United (3)  | 0–5  | Ballinamallard United (1)
Bangor (2)  | 2–0  | Portstewart (3)
Cliftonville (1)  | 6–0  | Wakehurst (3)
Coleraine (1)  | 3–0  | Larne (2)
Crusaders (1)  | 6–1  | Glebe Rangers (3)
Dundela (2)  | 0–3  | Carrick Rangers (2)
Glenavon (1)  | 3–1  | Lisburn Distillery (2)
Institute (1)  | 2–0  | Dollingstown (3)
Knockbreda (2)  | 4–0
Report | Donegal Celtic (2)
Loughgall (2)  | 0–1  | Dungannon Swifts (1)
Moyola Park (3)  | 1–2  | Glentoran (1)
PSNI (2)  | 1–4  | Ards (2)
Warrenpoint Town (1)  | 1–2  | Harland & Wolff Welders (2)
| Seeded  | Unseeded

|

Ards
Ballinamallard United
Ballymena United
Bangor
Cliftonville
Coleraine
Crusaders
Dundela
Dungannon Swifts
Glenavon
Glentoran
Institute
Knockbreda
Linfield
Portadown
Warrenpoint Town

Annagh United
Ballyclare Comrades
Ballymoney United
Carrick Rangers
Dollingstown
Donegal Celtic
Glebe Rangers
Harland & Wolff Welders
Larne
Lisburn Distillery
Loughgall
Moyola Park
Newington YC
Portstewart
PSNI
Wakehurst

## Third round

[edit]

The 16 winners from the second round matches entered this round. The third round draw was completed on 30 August 2014, with the matches played on 7 October 2014.[7] Six clubs from the second tier reached this stage, but there were no representatives from the third tier. A number of ties were switched after the original draw.

Ballymena United (1) v Ballyclare Comrades (2) 7 October 2014 |  Ballymena United (1) | 3 – 1| Ballyclare Comrades (2)| Ballymena Showgrounds, Ballymena

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Tipton 34' (pen.), 54', 79' (pen.) | Report | Reid  21' | Referee: Tim Marshall

Bangor (2) v Harland & Wolff Welders (2) 7 October 2014 |  Bangor (2) | 4 – 1| Harland & Wolff Welders (2)| Clandeboye Park, Bangor

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Forsythe  27', 70', 90'
Youle  46' | Report | Middleton  2' | Referee: Raymond Crangle

Cliftonville (1) v Carrick Rangers (2) 7 October 2014 |  Cliftonville (1) | 4 – 1| Carrick Rangers (2)| Solitude, Belfast

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Mulvenna  21', 60'
Knowles  90+2'
M.Donnelly  90+3' | Report | Cherry  54' | Referee: Ian McNabb

Crusaders (1) v Coleraine (1) 7 October 2014 |  Crusaders (1) | 3 – 2| Coleraine (1)| Seaview, Belfast

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Clarke  70'
O'Carroll 78', 90' | Report | Miskimmin  30'
McCafferty  80' | Referee: Mervyn Smyth

Dungannon Swifts (1) v Ards (2) 7 October 2014 |  Dungannon Swifts (1) | 3 – 0| Ards (2)| Stangmore Park, Dungannon

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Wilson  32'
Douglas  34'
Liggett  74' | Report |  | Referee: Andrew Davey

Glenavon (1) v Glentoran (1) 7 October 2014 | Glenavon (1)| 1 – 5|  Glentoran (1) | Mourneview Park, Lurgan

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Dillon  22' | Report | Allen  8'
McCaffrey  42' (pen.), 57', 86'
Stewart  81' | Referee: Colin Burns

Institute (1) v Ballinamallard United (1) 7 October 2014 | Institute (1)| 0 – 2|  Ballinamallard United (1) | Riverside Stadium, Drumahoe

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT |  | Report | Elding  7' (pen.)
Campbell  47' | Referee: Raymond Hetherington

Portadown (1) v Knockbreda (2) 7 October 2014 |  Portadown (1) | 3 – 1| Knockbreda (2)| Shamrock Park, Portadown

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Murray  25' (pen.)
McAllister  55'
Gault  81' | Report | Boyd  87' | Referee: Ross Dunlop

## Quarter-finals

[edit]

The 8 winners from the third round matches entered this round. The draw for the quarter-finals was made on 11 October 2014, with the matches played on 11 November 2014. Bangor was the lowest ranked club to reach the quarter-finals, as the only representative from outside the top flight.

Ballinamallard United (1) v Glentoran (1) 11 November 2014 |  Ballinamallard United (1) | 1 – 1 (a.e.t.)
(4 – 1 p)| Glentoran (1)| Ferney Park, Ballinamallard

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Lafferty  14' | Report | Allen  76' | Referee: Ross Dunlop

Ballymena United (1) v Dungannon Swifts (1) 11 November 2014 |  Ballymena United (1) | 3 – 1| Dungannon Swifts (1)| Ballymena Showgrounds, Ballymena

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Kane  21'
Gawley  33'
Boyce  83' | Report | Harpur  40' (pen.) | Referee: Raymond Crangle

Bangor (2) v Crusaders (1) 11 November 2014 |  Bangor (2) | 4 – 2 (a.e.t.)| Crusaders (1)| Clandeboye Park, Bangor

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Youle  68'
Hall  80'
Boylan  99', 115' | Report | Adamson  24', 36' | Referee: Ian McNabb

Cliftonville (1) v Portadown (1) 11 November 2014 |  Cliftonville (1) | 2 – 0| Portadown (1)| Solitude, Belfast

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | Gormley 28', 32' | Report |  | Referee: Colin Burns

## Semi-finals

[edit]

The semi-final draw took place on 15 November 2014, with the 4 quarter-final winners entering this round. Once again, Bangor was the lowest ranked club to reach this stage, as the only representative from outside the top flight. In reaching the semi-finals, Bangor became the first club from outside the top-flight to do so since Portadown in 2008–09.

Cliftonville (1) v Bangor (2) 16 December 2014 |  Cliftonville (1) | 4 – 3| Bangor (2)| Solitude, Belfast

|
|
|
|

19:45 GMT | McDaid 33'
J.Donnelly  38'
Gormley 64', 75' | BBC Sport
NIFL | Walsh  40'
Cosgrove  60' (o.g.)
McDowell  73' | Referee: Andrew Davey

Ballinamallard United (1) v Ballymena United (1) 16 December 2014 | Ballinamallard United (1)| 2 – 3|  Ballymena United (1) | Ferney Park, Ballinamallard

|
|
|
|

20:00 GMT | Campbell  20', 68' | BBC Sport
NIFL | Jenkins 45'
Tipton 58'
Munster  87' | Referee: Raymond Hetherington

## Final

[edit]

The final was played on 24 January 2015 at Windsor Park. Ballymena United reached the final for the first time, while Cliftonville were appearing in their third consecutive final and sixth final overall. Cliftonville completed a successful defence of the cup once again, lifting it for the third consecutive season and the fourth time overall.

24 January 2015

17:30 GMT

Ballymena United (1)| 2 – 3| Cliftonville (1)

|
|

Cushley 52', 59' | BBC Sport
NIFL | Gormley 1', 37'
M. Donnelly 80'

Windsor Park, Belfast

Referee: Raymond Crangle

## See also

[edit]

* 2014–15 NIFL Premiership
* 2014–15 NIFL Championship
* 2014–15 Irish Cup

## External links

[edit]

* NIFL official site

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "NI FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP SPONSORSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT". nifootballleague.com. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
2. ^ "League Cup final: Cliftonville beat Crusaders in shoot-out". BBC Sport. 25 January 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
3. ^ "League Cup final: Ballymena Utd 2-3 Cliftonville". BBC Sport. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
4. ^ "Corner step down from Championship football". Antrim Times. 8 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
5. ^ "WASP SOLUTIONS LEAGUE CUP - FIRST ROUND DRAW". NI Football League. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
6. ^ "WASP SOLUTIONS LEAGUE CUP - SECOND ROUND DRAW". NI Football League. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
7. ^ "WASP SOLUTIONS LEAGUE CUP - THIRD ROUND DRAW". NI Football League. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.

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