Jordan Stewart has urged Glentoran to make the most of their opportunity to reach another final when they face Coleraine in the last four of the BetMcLean Cup tonight (Kick-off 7.45pm).

The Glens narrowly lost out to Cliftonville in last season’s showpiece final in front of a bumper crowd at the Clearer Twist National Stadium.

Stewart insists the desire to make it to back-to-back finals is high but he knows it will be a tough test against the Bannsiders at the BetMcLean Oval.

Jordan Stewart said: “It’s the business end of the competition now when you reach the semi-final stage, nobody wants to miss out now.

“The carrot of reaching the final is right in front of you and it’s one you do not want to miss out on. Nobody wants to go out at this stage.

“The Glens obviously reached the final last season and were unfortunate to lose on the day, but that whetted the appetite amongst the boys to get back there again this season.

“The BetMcLean Cup final is one of the biggest days in the football calendar, you’ve seen that with the last few finals and I know as a player everyone wants to be involved in it.

“We have the opportunity to go and do that on Wednesday night and we will be doing our utmost to make the most of it.

“It won’t be easy, we know that as Coleraine are a very good side and the games between us so far the season have been very tight with only the odd goal between us.

“I’m sure it will be no different come Wednesday but we just have to make sure we look after ourselves and make the most of our home advantage.”

Glentoran have won both encounters against Ruaidhri Higgins’ men in the Sports Direct Premiership so far this season by the same score.

They followed up a 2-1 victory at The Showgrounds back in September with another victory at the BetMcLean Oval last month.

On both occasions the Glens fought back from a goal down to seal the win with Stewart playing a starring role on the north coast with a memorable brace on the night.

Stewart said: “That game at The Showgrounds back in September was a special one in more ways than one.

“We had made a good start to the new season, but it was always going to be a big test for us going up there.

“Coleraine obviously scored early on and were probably the better team for the majority of the first half.

“But we regrouped at half-time and Declan got us going again. We dominated the second half and deservedly won the game.

“I managed to score twice in front of our fans to seal the win which was a special moment for me.

“I had obviously only returned to the club in the summer and that felt like a really big moment for us all.

“I feel it also showed what we are about as a team. Not only do we have a lot of quality throughout the squad, but we have a great spirit and we are prepared to dig in and fight to get a result.

“The second win over Coleraine at The Oval showed that as well. It would have been easy just to thrown the towel in after going behind in the second half but we kept going.

“Even when we equalised, we could have settled for a point but that’s not in our nature, we wanted to go and get all three and thankfully we did that.

“We know it’s going to be another close battle on Wednesday and Coleraine will be fighting to get into the final as much as we are, but we have to make sure we go about our business in the right way.

“Being at home is a big plus too but the onus is on us to put in a performance too. Our fans also have a big role to play to help fire us on.

“It’s going to be another bumper crowd and I have no doubt our fans will make their presence felt.”

The Glens were left kicking their heels in frustration at the weekend after their league clash with Cliftonville fell foul of the weather.

But while there has been some inactivity on the pitch the club has been busy on it with the recent additions of Jarlath O’Rourke, Ross Clarke and Aaron McEneff.

Stewart has been very impressed with the business the club has conducted in the January transfer window and he feels everyone who has come in will play a key role in the final few months of the season.

Jordan added: “If you’re going to be successful you need a squad that not only is full of quality but also has plenty of character and I feel that is certainly the case here.

“Obviously a few players have moved on, but the boss and his staff have done some great business with the players they have brought in.

“There’s some real quality that has arrived at The Oval this month and they are also very experienced in terms of the Irish League too.

“That will prove invaluable for us as a team as it means these guys know what the league is about and it should help them settle in here at the Glens without any real issues.

“We are in a good place and the new signings have boosted the mood even further as well as having raised the competition for places.

“I know the fans are very excited by it too, so it is all set up for a very big end to the season.”

For Glentoran fans planning to attend Wednesday’s Bet McLean Cup Semi-Final tie against Coleraine, tickets are available to purchase at: https://www.glentoran.com/tickets/