1948–49 County Antrim Shield

{{infobox football tournament season

| title = County Antrim Shield

| year = 1948–49

| country = Northern Ireland

| num_teams = 10

| defending_champions = Ballymena United

| winners = {{nowrap|Linfield Swifts (1st win)}}

| second = Bangor

| matches = 13

| goals = 53

| prev_season = 1947–48

| next_season = 1949–50

}}

The 1948–49 County Antrim Shield was the 60th edition of the County Antrim Shield, a cup competition in Northern Irish football.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishleaguearchive.org/northern-ireland|title=Irish League Archive, County Antrim Shield|publisher=Irish League Archive|accessdate=15 April 2023}}

Linfield Swifts (the reserve team of Linfield) won the tournament for the 1st time, defeating Bangor 4–1 in the second final replay at Grosvenor Park.{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004162/19490521/085/0006|title=Another Trophy For Windsor, Bangor Outclassed|work=Ireland's Saturday Night|date=21 May 1949|page=6}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishleaguearchive.org/county-antrim-shield|title=County Antrim Shield Results|publisher=Irish League Archive|accessdate=15 April 2023}}

Results

=First round=

{{OneLegStart}}

{{OneLegResult|Distillery||1–1|Linfield Swifts}}

{{OneLegResult|Linfield||2–2|Brantwood}}

{{OneLegResult|Ards||bye|}}

{{OneLegResult|Ballymena United||bye|}}

{{OneLegResult|Bangor||bye|}}

{{OneLegResult|Belfast Celtic||bye|}}

{{OneLegResult|Cliftonville||bye|}}

{{OneLegResult|Glentoran||bye|}}

{{OneLegResult|Linfield||bye|}}

|}

==Replays==

{{OneLegStart}}

{{OneLegResult|Linfield Swifts||4–0|Distillery}}

{{OneLegResult|Linfield||2–2|Brantwood}}

|}

==Second replay==

{{OneLegStart}}

{{OneLegResult|Linfield||1–2|Brantwood}}

|}

=Quarter-finals=

{{OneLegStart}}

{{OneLegResult|Bangor||4–2|Brantwood}}

{{OneLegResult|Belfast Celtic||2–1|Ards}}

{{OneLegResult|Glentoran||1–0|Ballymena United}}

{{OneLegResult|Linfield Swifts||4–2|Cliftonville}}

|}

=Semi-finals=

{{OneLegStart}}

{{OneLegResult|Bangor||3–0|Glentoran}}

{{OneLegResult|Linfield Swifts||w/o1|Belfast Celtic}}

|}

1Linfield Swifts progressed to the final after Belfast Celtic withdrew from the competition.

=Final=

{{football box

|date=7 May 1949

|time=

|team1=Linfield Swifts

|score=2–2

|aet=

|report=[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004162/19490507/239/0007 Report]

|team2=Bangor

|goals1=Graham {{goal|14}}
Dickson {{goal|44}}

|goals2=Forsythe {{goal|40}}
Taylor {{goal|60}}

|stadium=Grosvenor Park, Belfast

|attendance=10,000

|referee=T. Mitchell

}}

==Replay==

{{football box

|date=14 May 1949

|time=

|team1=Linfield Swifts

|score=3–3

|aet=

|report=[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001542/19490516/034/0002 Report]

|team2=Bangor

|goals1=

|goals2=

|stadium=Grosvenor Park, Belfast

|attendance=

|referee=

}}

==Second replay==

{{football box

|date=20 May 1949

|time=

|team1=Linfield Swifts

|score=4–1

|aet=

|report=[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004162/19490521/085/0006 Report]

|team2=Bangor

|goals1=Mackey {{goal|23}}
Dickson {{goal|44}}
Houston {{goal|49|pen.}}
Graham {{goal|66}}

|goals2=Forsythe {{goal|17}}

|stadium=Grosvenor Park, Belfast

|attendance=10,000

|referee=

}}

References

{{reflist}}