Irish Cup final, Linfield v Crusaders, Saturday 2.30pm, Windsor Park
LINFIELD manager David Jeffrey has challenged his players to finish the season in style as the Blues face Crusaders in the Irish Cup final.
This will be a repeat of last year’s final when the Blues completed the double with a 2-1 victory over Stephen Baxter’s side and they will be looking to make it an incredible sixth league and cup double in seven seasons this weekend.
The Windsor Park outfit were presented with the league trophy on Saturday as they signed off with a 2-0 defeat to old foes Glentoran but the result had little meaning as the Gibson Cup had already been retained.
A Calum Birney double ensured Eddie Patterson’s side claimed the bragging rights but with this dead rubber out of the way, attention now turns to this weekend’s final and a game Jeffrey admits will be tough but one his team is capable of winning if they perform on the day.
“We are now totally focused on a massive cup final against a very impressive Crusaders side,” he said.
“I watched them particularly in the Setanta Cup and I thought they were quite magnificent.
“It’s great to see them keeping the Irish League flag flying very high.
“They thoroughly deserved their victory in the semi-final. They’ll be coming here on the back of their experience in last year’s final and they’ll be highly motivated.
“It’s going to be a massive challenge and we’ll be aiming to win the game first and foremost.
“If we win the game, we’ll win the cup and if we win the cup, we’ll have won a double and it’ll be a sixth double in seven years but all we’re focusing on is winning the game.
“At this moment in time we’ve had a most successful season.
“It’s tremendous to be league champions again but if we give of our best and if we get that rub of the green, then it could be an even better season but we know how difficult a task that is going to be.”
