Portadown, who won the Irish Cup by default last season when Cliftonville were dismissed from the competition, are determined to take the trophy in the conventional manner today when they face Glentoran at Windsor Park. Glentoran are the favourites but both teams tailed off badly in the latter stages of the Premier Division Championship and will have to play a lot better if the big game is not to flop.

Glentoran should have gone out in the initial stages, surviving against first division club Armagh City with an injury-time equaliser from winger Stuart Elliott.

Elliott could again be the match-winner but the cup final could prove the perfect stage for 32-goal Portadown centre forward, Dubliner Vinny Arkins, already Ulster Footballer of the Year.