What's at stake for BetMcLean Cup semi-finalists?

The identity of this season's BetMcLean Cup finalists on 22 March are scheduled to be known this week as Linfield host Ballymena United and Glentoran entertain Coleraine in the two semi-finals of the competition.

The match between David Healy's Blues and Oran Kearney's Sky Blues had been scheduled to take place on Tuesday but an amber weather warning for wind led to that tie being postponed for 24 hours.

Glentoran's tie with Coleraine was set to be played on Wednesday but damage and flooding from Storm Chandra meant that game was rescheduled for Tuesday, 3 February.

With this year's League Cup winner being assured of a place in the Irish Premiership's European play-off final in May for the first time, there is more at stake than ever for the four clubs remaining.

As the race to secure the coveted trophy reaches its latter stages, BBC Sport NI looks at what is at stake for the sides who have made it this far.

With hopes of retaining their Irish Premiership title having receded in recent weeks, cup competitions appear to offer Linfield their best chance of picking up silverware this season.

The Blues have won the competition a record 12 times and secured back-to-back BetMcLean Cup triumphs in 2023 and 2024.

Healy's charges are unbeaten in their past five outings in all competitions and avenged a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Ballymena in a league game at the Showgrounds in September by defeating the Braidmen 2-1 at Windsor Park in their second top-flight meeting of the season in October.

"We always have a ding-dong battle with Ballymena and we look forward to the challenge," the Linfield manager told BBC Sport NI after his side's win over Crusaders on Saturday.

"It [reaching a BetMcLean Cup final] is huge for everybody, I make no secret of it. We won it two years on the bounce and the finals were brilliant occasions."

Postponements because of adverse weather have meant that Ballymena have played just two games during the month of January to date so it remains to be seen whether that is to their benefit or detriment for this match-up with Linfield.

The competition offers Oran Kearney an opportunity to pick up his first trophy as United manger, having previously guided Coleraine to success over Crusaders in the 2020 decider, backing up his 2018 Irish Cup win as Bannsiders boss.

The Sky Blues' league campaign has proved a disappointing one so far so fans of the Showgrounds club will hope that a potential upset in this tie could prove to be a springboard for a strong finish to the season.

Nine years have elapsed since Ballymena last lifted the BetMcLean Cup by beating Carrick Rangers at Seaview.

They were losing League Cup finalists in 2015, 2018 and 2019 and also came out second best in Irish Cup deciders in 2020, 2022 and 2023 and the 2018 and 2020 County Antrim Shield finals.

Linfield: First round - beat Queen's University 2-0 (h); Second round - beat H&W Welders 6-3 aet (a); Quarter-finals - beat Newry City 3-2 (a)

Ballymena Utd: First round - beat Ballinamallard Utd 1-0 (h); Second round - beat Newington 3-0 (h); Quarter-finals - beat Larne 2-0 (h)

Declan Devine targets a second piece of silverware as Glentoran manager after leading the east Belfast club to success in the County Antrim Shield last season.

The Glens will still harbour ambitions of overtaking Larne in the league title race but with the Invermen very much in pole position to collect the Gibson Cup for a third time in four years, success in the knockout competitions may provide the Oval outfit with their best chance of tangible reward for their efforts this term.

Glentoran will be keen to make up for the disappointment of losing 1-0 to Cliftonville after extra-time in last year's final and carve out a possible route to European qualification after missing out on continental competition last season.

The Glens' last success in the competition was way back in 2010, when they defeated Wednesday's opponents Coleraine in a penalty shootout.

Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins has the opportunity to mark his first season at the helm at Coleraine with silverware if his side can overcome Devine's men.

The Ballycastle Road club are another to have seen their ambitions of Premiership glory fade in recent weeks, making them all the more determined to bridge the six-year gap since they last tasted success in the BetMcLean Cup.

They go into the game on the back of four wins from five in all competitions, having significantly strengthened their squad in recent weeks, but having suffered two 2-1 losses to the Glens in the two league encounters between the sides in 2025-26.

"We now have a group of players who can handle different situations and we'll go there and roll our sleeves up and try to get this club into a cup final," said Higgins.

"It would be fantastic, it would mean the world," he added.

Glentoran: First round - beat Institute 1-0 (a); Second round - beat Crusaders 2-1 (h); Quarter-finals - beat Cliftonville 5-4 on pens after 1-1 draw aet

Coleraine: First round - beat Dollingstown 8-0 (a); Second round - beat Armagh City 7-1 (h); Quarter-finals - beat Moyola Park 2-0 (a)