James Singketon insists Glentoran need to keep their focus as they welcome Strabane Athletic to the BetMcLean Oval for Tuesday’s rearranged fifth-round tie in the Clearer Water Irish Cup (Kick-off 7.45pm).

The tie was switched to east Belfast after the original meeting between the sides at the Melvin Sports Complex fell foul of the freezing weather conditions 10 days ago.

It’s game on with Singleton urging his teammates to make sure they go about their business in the right manner to make sure it’s the Glens who progress to face Drumaness Mills in the sixth-round at the start of February.

James Singleton, said: “It was a bit frustrating to have the original tie postponed, but unfortunately there was nothing we could have done about it.

“The bonus now is we have the tie at the BetMcLean Oval in front of a bigger Glentoran support and we have to make sure we take advantage of that.

“We certainly won’t be taking it for granted though as we know Strabane Athletic will be coming here hoping to cause a shock.

“They have nothing to lose and can play with freedom because of that. I’ve been in the game long enough to know that anything can happen in cup.

“Just look at holders Crystal Palace getting knocked out of the FA Cup by Macclesfield last week. If we aren’t on it and don’t do our jobs correctly, we could end up being punished and exiting the competition.

“It’s a quick turnaround from Saturday but that’s no excuse, we will prepare correctly and give Strabane the respect they deserve, but we have to remain focused on the task in hand.”

Singleton has already tasted Irish Cup glory in his career having won the trophy twice during his spell at previous club Glenavon.

The 30-year-old would love to add another winners’ medal to his collection, but he knows there is plenty of work to be done before they can think about lifting the cup.

Singleton said: “As players you want to be able to look back at what you’ve won come the end of your playing career.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to win a few medals during my career so far, but I would love to add some with the Glens and the Irish Cup is obviously a very special one.

“Cup Final day is a great occasion for everyone, players and fans alike, especially if you go on and win it.

“I know Declan Devine won it during his time as a player here and it’s a final which is still talked about by everyone here because of Glen Little’s sensational winning goal.

“Moments like that become key moments in the history of a football club as someone steps up to be the hero.

“That’s what football is all about, but you can only go on and experience days like that if you earn it, so you have to get the job done in these early rounds.

“Medals aren’t handed out at this stage of the competition but you can build the platform to go on and achieve some success.”

The business end of the season is well underway now with Glentoran well-placed for a big finish to the campaign.

A mouth-watering BetMcLean Cup Semi-Final tie against Coleraine is on the horizon after their Irish Cup clash with Strabane Athletic while the league rolls on with more big games in the offing.

Singleton is relishing the intensity of the fixtures coming up with the Glens aiming to make them count.

James said: “Every game is important but when you move into the new year you can just feel things starting to ramp up a bit.

“The Irish Cup gets underway, it’s the latter stages of the BetMcLean Cup and the league games seem to carry more weight.

“You want that though, you want every game to carry importance as it means you are pushing for success.

“We have had a good run of results over the last month and it was pleasing to be able to put in performances to match.

“The Larne result was obviously a big disappointment but I think performance wise we weren’t far off it, it was just a couple of things didn’t go our way on the night.

“We put things right against Glenavon though and our aim is to put together another winning run as we look to make these results count at this crucial stage of the season.”

It was a big result for Glentoran at Mourneview Park after the midweek defeat at the hands of the Irish Premiership leaders.

Singleton knows the importance of getting back to winning ways again after a setback.

Singleton concluded: “The sign of a good side is how quickly they can bounce back after suffering a defeat,” said Singleton.

“We had come into the Larne game on the back of four big wins, unfortunately things didn’t go as we hoped on the night and we lost.

“You take what you can from the game after suffering a defeat but you can’t afford to dwell on it for too long.

“You have to try and get back to winning ways as quickly as possible and thankfully we were able to do that against Glenavon on Saturday.

“It was a real test for us going there as they have plenty of quality and are scrapping for their lives.

“But it was probably a good game for us as we had to show a lot of character to get the win, especially after they pulled a goal back going into the final 20 minutes. I think it said a lot about us as a team.”

 For Glentoran fans planning to attend Tuesday’s Clearer Water Irish Cup game against Strabane Athletic, match tickets are available to purchase at:  https://www.glentoran.com/tickets/home-tickets/

Please note that all tickets from the original fixture remain valid.