Boss John Bailie may be steeped in Ards history but you don’t need his connection forged over almost 300 games as a player and two spells in the manager’s dug-out to appreciate the importance to the club of the next 90 minutes. Having squeezed into the top six of the Irish League’s second tier thanks to victory over the closing pre-split stages, Ards’ campaign has been one of bread-and-butter grind towards points punctuated by the rich taste of knockout glory. Now – bolstered by experience off two previous wins over Premiership opposition - holders Cliftonville present the latest high-profile hurdle for Bailie’s Ards. Behind the dream run to date has been the reality of hours of preparation behind the scenes and hard yards on the training pitch. As a result, Bailie will send his players out tonight at Windsor Park to face Cliftonville aware of Ards’ underdogs status but putting faith in the familiar for the most unfamiliar of circumstances. "To be honest, it's been quite relaxed and low key...I think that's been important as players can get caught up in the emotion of everything,” said Bailie. "We explained to the players we had a job to do in the league and that was to get into the top six...that went right to the wire basically, so after last Tuesday we could turn the focus to the Irish Cup semi-final. "It will be a big thing for us and we'll embrace that but we want to give our players as much help as possible in dealing with everything around a semi-final...we don't want anyone freezing. "We're going into the tie in good form, we've only lost once in 2025 but this is going to be a different proposition on Friday in terms of the size of the crowd and size of the pitch at Windsor Park. "Cliftonville will have a big support but the longer we can stay in the game maybe the more disgruntled they might become and we'll work on our shape for a bigger pitch at Windsor Park. "But it's still training two nights and preparation on the day same as ever, it's a game of football. “We'll be massive underdogs but the important thing will be to try and have a go. "From our coaching side, we do our due diligence and have had Cliftonville watched twice, plus played them earlier in the season. "You don't want to overload with information but hopefully those details from analysis about the opposition we can pass on to help give our players that sense of extra assurance and trust. "They buy into it off our work then you're looking at players trying to carry out those actions bolstered with the best information from us. "We know their players are going to be better, we know their players are going to be fitter, playing week in and week out at a higher quality and higher tempo. "They're all givens...but in terms of patterns, set-plays, formations etc we watch a team, do our analysis and plan accordingly on any side. "That side of things will be no different...obviously going in blind would be foolish." A first Irish Cup semi-final appearance in three decades adds to the outside noise surrounding Ards and Bailie is determined to allow those around the club enjoy the achievements to date but keep his players’ minds on the match. "The focus also has to be how we play not about how to just stop Cliftonville...we need to implement our own gameplan and how to create chances otherwise there's no point,” said Bailie. "Cliftonville won't take anything for granted because no team gets to the Irish Cup semi-final by fluke. "Even back to the Moyola Park tie, we had to fight to get through, along with Ballymena and Loughgall, to earn the right to be at this point. "The Ballymena United tie, in particular, was a free hit but then you start to believe more and think about it a bit deeper as you progress and now you're in a semi-final. "I think the club has sold something like 1,500 tickets, which is phenomenal. "A lot of guys even playing for the club now maybe don't recognise how big Ards can be...I think some might be shocked by our turnout of supporters on Friday. "This is an occasion, a good reward for so many behind the scenes who keep the club afloat and those supporters. "It's important we all go and enjoy it because these things can come and go and when in the middle of everything you can sometimes take it all for granted...but it's been 30 years since our last semi-final. "From my perspective, thinking back to where the club was 12 months ago sitting a few points away from relegation to now in an Irish Cup semi-final...we have to make the most of it. "The players have just bought into the work ethic. "We've had long discussions with this group over the past 12 months about how nobody hands you anything in football. "They're all playing at Irish League level because of ability...but, with all the factors involved, Friday becomes a mental challenge as much as anything. "It doesn't happen every year for clubs like us but we've got to where we are on merit and we've players capable of winning a game. "It's a semi-final, you're 90 minutes away from playing in an Irish Cup final.”