The 2011 Setanta Sports Cup was the sixth staging of the Setanta Sports Cup, an association football competition featuring clubs from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It commenced on 14 February 2011 with the final played on 14 May 2011.[1]
The draw for the 2011 competition was made at Belfast City Hall on 13 December 2010.
Changes to structure
For the 2011 competition, the Setanta Cup was expanded to 12 teams, of which the four highest ranked teams received a bye into the quarter-finals. Also unlike previous years the tournament was played as a straight knock-out competition over two legs apart from the final.[2]
Television Coverage
Setanta Sports broadcast live coverage of five games, starting with the quarter-finals.
First round
Four League of Ireland and Four IFA Premiership teams played each other in the first round over two games with the winners qualifying for the quarter-finals. The first legs were played on 14 February/21 February/1 March 2011 and the second legs were played on 28 February/1 March/7 March 2011. Sporting Fingal had originally been scheduled to compete in the tournament against Lisburn Distillery but withdrew on 9 February due to financial difficulties which saw them fold the following day and were replaced by UCD.[3]
The winners of the four first-round games joined the four seeded teams (Shamrock Rovers, Sligo Rovers, Crusaders and Glentoran) who received a Bye into the quarter-finals. The first legs were played on 7 March/14 March/28 March 2011 and the second legs were played on 21 March/22 March/4 April 2011.
The four winners of the quarter-final games played each other over two games for a place in the 2011 Setanta Sports Cup final. The first legs were played on 4 April/11 April 2011 and the second legs were played on 18 April/19 April 2011. The draw for the semi-finals was made on 23 March 2011.[4]
The two winners of the semi-final games played each other over one game to decide who would be crowned Setanta Sports Cup winners for 2011. The final took place on Saturday 14 May 2011 in Tallaght Stadium.[5]Shamrock Rovers beat Dundalk to win the competition for the first time.[6]
