Cliftonville Irish Cup tie 'just rewards' for Banbridge Rangers as they break new ground

Banbridge Rangers boss Jeff Brady said there will be "no pressure" on his players when they take on Cliftonville in the fifth round of the Irish Cup.

The Mid Ulster Intermediate A side were paired with the cup holders in yesterday's draw after reaching this stage of the competition for the first time.

While it may be a daunting task to go to the home of the team which is currently second in the Irish Premiership Brady Insisted it was just reward for his players' efforts to get this far.

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"To be a team like Banbridge Rangers to get here for the first time and to be drawn out against Cliftonville is a big deal," Brady told BBC Sport NI. "I’ll tell the players to go out and play with freedom, there’s no pressure on us. We’ve done the hard work so as long as they go out and enjoy themselves and give a good account of themselves I’ll be happy.

"Days like this are for everybody, the whole club, not just the players and myself and the coaching staff. The club has been going for 20 years and for some of those 20 years it has been the same people behind the scenes driving it so that will be for them.

"It’s a home-based club, full of families, full of people who put in those hard hours every week that people don’t see. It will be a big day for those people certainly."

Full fifth round draw [ties to be played on the weekend of 3-4 January]
Annagh Utd v Portadown; Bangor v Newington; Carrick Rangers v Newry City; Linfield v Wellington Rec; Dollingstown v Ballyclare Comrades; Coleraine v Armagh City; Limavady Utd v Larne; Dungannon Swifts v Rathfriland Rangers; Knockbreda/Banbridge Town v Crusaders; Institute v Loughgall; Islandmagee/Ballymacash v Ballinamallard; Ballymena Utd v Ards; Cliftonville v Banbridge Rangers; Belfast Celtic v Moyola Park; Glenavon v Dundela; H&W Welders v Glentoran

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