1977–78 Irish Cup
Football tournament season
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The 1977–78 Irish Cup was the 98th edition of the Irish Cup, Northern Ireland's premier football knock-out cup competition. It began on 4 February 1978, and concluded on 29 April 1978 with the final.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Linfield (31st win) |
| Runners-up | Ballymena United |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 18 |
| Goals scored | 71 (3.94 per match) |
The defending champions were Coleraine, after they defeated Linfield 4–1 in the 1976–77 final.[1] However, Linfield gained revenge by knocking the holders out with a 2–1 win in the first round. Linfield went on to win the cup for the 31st time, defeating Ballymena United 3–1 in the final.[2]
Results
First round
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ards | 5–2 | Dungannon Swifts |
| Ballymena United | 6–2 | Downpatrick Rec. |
| Cliftonville | 1–3 | Bangor |
| Dundela | 1–21 | Crusaders |
| Glenavon | 1–3 | Larne |
| Glentoran | 5–1 | RUC |
| Linfield | 2–1 | Coleraine |
| Portadown | 5–3 | Distillery |
1This tie required a replay, after the first game was a 2–2 draw.[2]
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ballymena United | 1–1 (4–1 p)2 |
Crusaders |
| Linfield | 2–1 | Portadown |
2This tie was eventually decided by a penalty shoot-out in the second replay, after all three games ended as 1–1 draws.[2]
