| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Teams | 126 |
| Defending champions | Glenavon |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Linfield (43rd win) |
| Runners-up | Coleraine |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 120 |
| Goals scored | 516 (4.3 per match) |
The2016–17 Irish Cup (known as theTennent's Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) was the 137th edition of theIrish Cup, the premier knockout cup competition inNorthern Irishfootball since its introduction in 1881. The competition began on 19 August 2016 and concluded with the final atWindsor Park on 6 May 2017.
Glenavon were the defending champions, after they lifted the cup for the seventh time by defeatingLinfield 2–0 in the2016 final.[1] They were eliminated at the semi-final stage. The competition was won by Linfield, who defeatedColeraine 3-0 in the final.[2]
126 clubs entered this season's competition, a decrease of three clubs compared with the2015–16 total of 129 clubs. 12 members of theNIFL Premier Intermediate League and 90 regional league clubs from tiers 4–7 in theNorthern Ireland football league system entered the competition in the first round, 26 of whom received a bye to proceed directly into the second round as necessitated by the number of participants. These clubs contested the first four rounds, with the eight surviving clubs joining the 24 seniorNIFL Premiership andNIFL Championship clubs in the fifth round. Extra time was utilised to decide the victor in any games that remained tied after 90 minutes, with a penalty shootout following if required.
|
|
Ties to be play on 20 August 2016.[3][4][5] Twenty-six clubs received byes into the second round:Ardglass,Ards Rangers,Ballymoney United,Ballynahinch United,Barn United,Camlough Rovers,Crumlin Star,Donard Hospital,Dromara Village,Drumaness Mills,Dundela,Killyleagh Youth,Larne Tech. Old Boys,Lisburn Rangers,Maiden City,Mossley,Nortel,Portstewart,Richhill A.F.C.,St Luke's,St Mary's Youth,Seagoe,Short Brothers,Strabane Athletic,Tobermore United andWakehurst. Maiden City later withdrew.
Due to there being an uneven number of clubs left on account of Maiden City's withdrawal, in the draw Dollingstown received a bye to the third round.[7] Matches played on 1 October 2016.[4]
Ties played on 5 November 2016.[4]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Abbey Villa (5) | 2–3 | Dollingstown (4) |
| Comber Rec (5) | 2–3 | St Luke's (7) |
| Crewe United (4) | 3–1 | Ballymoney United (4) |
| Derriaghy Cricket Club (4) | 2–0 | Valley Rangers (4) |
| Dromara Village (6) | 1–2 | Drumaness Mills (4) |
| Dundela (3) | 3–2 | Downshire Young Men (6) |
| East Belfast (5) | 0–2 | Shorts (7) |
| Fivemiletown United (4) | 5–4 | Newington (3) |
| Glebe Rangers (4) | 0–0 (aet) (3–4p) | Grove United (6) |
| Killyleagh YC (5) | 0–5 | Portstewart (4) |
| Lisburn Rangers (4) | 0–1 | Lisburn Distillery (3) |
| Richhill (5) | 1–0 | Oxford United Stars (4) |
| Sofia Farmer (4) | 0–2 | Windmill Stars (4) |
| Sport & Leisure Swifts (3) | 3–2 | Ards Rangers (4) |
| Tobermore United (3) | 2–1 | Wakehurst (4) |
| Trojans (4) | w/o | 18th Newtownabbey Old Boys (7) |
Ties played on 3 December 2016.[4]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Derriaghy Cricket Club (4) | 2–4 | Portstewart (4) |
| Dundela (3) | 3–4 | Fivemiletown United (4) |
| Lisburn Distillery (3) | 3–0 | St Luke's (7) |
| Richhill (5) | 6–2 | Grove United (6) |
| Sport & Leisure Swifts (3) | 1–3 | Dollingstown (4) |
| Tobermore United (3) | 6–0 | Shorts (7) |
| Trojans (4) | 3–1 | Drumaness Mills (4) |
| Windmill Stars (4) | 3–4 | Crewe United (4) |
Ties played on 7 January 2017. The draw resulted in a clash betweenBelfast's Big Two.[4]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Annagh United (2) | 0–2 | Tobermore United (3) |
| Armagh City (2) | 2–1 | Trojans (4) |
| Ballyclare Comrades (2) | 2–4 | Institute (2) |
| Ballymena United (1) | 1–1(aet) (4–3p) | Cliftonville (1) |
| Coleraine (1) | 5–1 | Carrick Rangers (1) |
| Crusaders (1) | 2–0 | Ards (1) |
| Dungannon Swifts (1) | 3–0 | Dergview (2) |
| Glenavon (1) | 4–1 | Portstewart (4) |
| Glentoran (1) | 1–2(aet) | Linfield (1) |
| Harland & Wolff Welders (2) | 1–0 | Lurgan Celtic (2) |
| Knockbreda (2) | 1–2 | Crewe United (4) |
| Larne (2) | 1–2 | Portadown (1) |
| Loughgall (2) | 3–0 | Fivemiletown United (4) |
| PSNI (2) | 2–1 | Lisburn Distillery (3) |
| Richhill (5) | 1–4 | Dollingstown (4) |
| Warrenpoint Town (2) | 0–0(aet) (5–4p) | Ballinamallard United (1) |
Ties to be played on 4 February 2017.[4]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Armagh City (2) | 0–2 | Glenavon (1) |
| Coleraine (1) | 1–0 | Tobermore United (3) |
| Crusaders (1) | 2–0 | PSNI (2) |
| Dungannon Swifts (1) | 4–1 | Dollingstown (4) |
| Harland & Wolff Welders (2) | 1–3 | Ballymena United (1) |
| Institute (2) | 0–2 | Linfield (1) |
| Loughgall (2) | 1–2 | Portadown (1) |
| Warrenpoint Town (2) | 5–0 | Crewe United (4) |
The 8 winners of the sixth round matches entered the quarter-finals. The draw took place on 5 February 2017, with the matches to be played on 4 March 2017. As the only representative from theNIFL Championship,Warrenpoint Town was the lowest-ranked club to reach the quarter-finals.[4]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ballymena United (1) | 0–4 | Coleraine (1) |
| Crusaders (1) | 0–2 | Linfield (1) |
| Dungannon Swifts (1) | 2–1 (aet) | Warrenpoint Town (2) |
| Portadown (1) | 0–5 | Glenavon (1) |
The 4 winners of the quarter-finals entered the semi-finals with the ties played on 1 April 2017 withLinfield andColeraine advancing to contest the 2017 final.[4]
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Linfield (1) | 1–0 | Dungannon Swifts (1) |
| Coleraine (1) | 2–1 | Glenavon (1) |
Linfield andColeraine contested the final withLinfield winning 3–0 to secure the Cup for a record 43rd time, and claim their first league and cup double since 2012.[11]Andrew Waterworth became the first player in 48 years to score ahat trick in an Irish Cup final.Billy McAvoy had been the last player to achieve the feat, having done so forArds in their 4–2 win overDistillery in the 1969 final replay.[12]
| Linfield | 3–0 | Coleraine |
|---|---|---|
Waterworth 29',33',87' | Report |
| National teams | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leagues |
| ||||
| Domestic cups |
| ||||
| Defunct leagues | |||||
| Defunct cups | |||||
| Awards | |||||
