The fonaCAB Junior Cup reaches the fifth round stage this weekend with the 16 clubs still left in the competition perhaps beginning to allow themselves to dream of a big day out at the end of the season.
The tie of the round sees Ballymena Saturday Morning League duo Ahoghill Thistle, losing semi-finalists last season, and All Saints OB lock horns at the Community Centre on the Cullybackey Link Road.
As well as the obvious familiarity there will be a sense of revenge in the air at this eagerly anticipated clash.
All Saints have an almost perfect record this season. They have a maximum 33 points from their 11 league outings so far, and have only tasted defeat twice in other competitions.
One of those reversals came way back in August when Thistle defeated them by the odd goal in three in the Top Four Cup semi-final.
Matthew Boyd scored on that occasion for Thistle, and the former Limavady United and Ballymena United player has carried that form into the Junior Cup, bagging two goals per game in every round as Magheraveely, Strathroy Harps and Sandy Hill all fell by the wayside.
But All Saints can point to leading scorer Ryan Wilkinson who, like Boyd, has found the net all the way through the competition in the victories over Crosscollyer YM, Cookstown Olympic, Lisahally and Bessbrook United.
The only other side to defeat Saints this season are Harryville Homers, no strangers to Junior Cup glory themselves.
The recent three-times winners continue their pursuit of the famous trophy when they host United LT at the Wakehurst Playing Fields, while holders Enniskillen Rangers travel to Belfast to face Willowbank.
fonaCAB Junior Cup (Fifth Round) - kick-off 1.30pm
Ahoghill Thistle v All Saints OB
Ballysillan Swifts v HW Welders U20
Dervock v Newry Celtic
Greenisland v Ford
Harryville Homers v United LT
Newington Reserves v St. Matthew's
Portavogie Rangers v Beann Mhadaghain
Willowbank v Enniskillen Rangers
