The 1997–98 Irish League Cup (known as the Wilkinson Sword League Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 12th edition of the Irish League Cup, Northern Ireland's secondary football knock-out cup competition. It concluded on 9 September 1997 with the final.
| Wilkinson Sword League Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Country |  Northern Ireland |
| Teams | 32 |
| Defending champions | Crusaders |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Linfield (4th win) |
| Runner-up | Glentoran |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 120 (3.87 per match) |
Crusaders were the defending champions after their first League Cup win last season; a 1–0 victory over Glentoran in the previous final. This season they went out in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Linfield, who lifted their fourth League Cup with a 1–0 victory over arch-rivals Glentoran in the final, condemning the Glens to their second successive League Cup final defeat.[1][2]
This was the last competition to feature clubs from the Irish League B Division. From the following season onwards, the competition would only be open to senior clubs in the top two divisions.
First round
edit| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ards | 7–2 | Brantwood |
| Ballyclare Comrades | 1–2 | RUC |
| Carrick Rangers | 1–1 (4–5 p) | Banbridge Town |
| Chimney Corner | 1–0 | Cliftonville |
| Cookstown United | 0–5 | Larne1 |
| Crusaders | 3–0 | Armagh City |
| Dundela | 1–4 | Ballymena United |
| Dungannon Swifts | 1–0 | Distillery |
| Glenavon | 2–0 | Harland & Wolff Welders |
| Glentoran | 5–1 | Tobermore United |
| Limavady United | 0–2 | Bangor |
| Linfield | 7–1 | Ballinamallard United |
| Loughgall | 0–1 | Portadown |
| Moyola Park | 0–3 | Coleraine |
| Newry Town | 3–1 | Ballymoney United |
| Omagh Town | 1–6 | Institute |
1 Larne were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player. Cookstown United were reinstated.
Second round
edit| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bangor | 0–3 | Portadown |
| Coleraine | 3–5 | Crusaders |
| Glenavon | 2-1 | Ards |
| Glentoran | 9–2 | Dungannon Swifts |
| Institute | 5–1 | Banbridge Town |
| Linfield | 3–0 | Cookstown United |
| Newry Town | 1–1 (4–5 p) | Ballymena United |
| RUC | 1–2 | Chimney Corner |
Quarter-finals
edit| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney Corner | 1–2 | Portadown |
| Crusaders | 0–1 | Linfield |
| Glenavon | 6–1 | Ballymena United |
| Glentoran | 3–2 | Institute |
Semi-finals
edit| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Glentoran | 1–0 | Glenavon |
| Portadown | 1–2 | Linfield |
Final
edit
References
edit- ^ "Northern Ireland - List of League Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. RSSSF. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
- ^ "Northern Ireland 1997/98". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. RSSSF. Retrieved 24 December 2012.