Last year’s League Cup runners-up Coleraine will face Linfield in the final of this year’s competition after a dramatic night of semi-final action.
Linfield defeated Glentoran 3-0 at the Oval, Sam Roscoe and Eetu Vertainen scoring in the first half and Cameron Palmer adding a third in the second.
Coleraine beat holders Cliftonville 5-4 on penalties after the sides drew 2-2.
Ronan Hale and Odhran Casey scored for the Reds, with Matthew Shevlin grabbing a a double for the Bannsiders.
Hale opened the scoring early at Solitude when he nipped in and stroked the ball past Gareth Deane after a defensive error by Kieran Farren.
Shevlin levelled from close range from a Conor McDermott cross with eight minutes remaining to take the game into extra-time and then substitute Odhran Casey volleyed past Deane from the edge of the area, after which Sean Moore struck a post.
Shevlin headed in the equaliser from Lee Lynch’s cross for his second of the match in the second period of extra-time to ensure the game would be decided by a spot-kick shootout – just reward for his side’s superiority in the second 45 minutes.
Lyndon Kane had his penalty saved by Nathan Gartside after he was ordered to re-take his initial effort which was also saved by the home stopper.
Ronan Hale then missed the target for his side, before nine successful penalties followed.
Josh Carson, Shevlin, Evan McLaughlin, Michael McCrudden and Dean Jarvis found the net for Coleraine and Chris Gallagher, Levi Ives, Colin Coates and Joe Gormley did likewise for Cliftonville.
Casey hit the bar with his attempt to hand the visiting team victory and book a place in the 12 March decider, their third consecutive appearance in the final of the competition which they won in 2020.
Dominant Blues
Linfield produced a dominant performance to see off rivals Glentoran.
The visitors looked the more positive side in the early stages and went in front on 19 minutes.
Matthew Clarke delivered an inswinging corner which was met at the near-post with a perfectly-executed glancing header from Sam Roscoe.
The home side continued to dominate and were rewarded with a second goal on 31 minutes when Eetu Vertainen raced into the penalty area after collecting a pass from Chris Shields.
The chance initially looked to have gone as the striker delayed getting his shot away but despite having four defenders and the goalkeeper between him and the goal, the Finnish frontman drilled home a shot through a ruck of players.
Glentoran almost replied straight away when Aaron Wightman burst into the penalty area but Linfield defender Jimmy Callacher threw his body in front of the shot to make an important block.
In an uneventful second period, Linfield made the game safe with 15 minutes left when substitute Conor Pepper went on an overlapping run on the right and his cross was knocked down by Robbie McDaid for Cammy Palmer to score with a stooping header.
It will be Linfield’s first League Cup final appearance since winning the trophy for the tenth time in 2019, while Glentoran have now lost five of their last seven games in all competitions.
