Everybody needs good neighbours, as that well-known television theme song tells us, but don’t expect Tony Kane to be one on Friday night.

Both classroom assistants at Holy Cross Primary School in north Belfast, where they attended as pupils, the pair also live three doors up from each other, just a short walk from their workplace.

Kane, 35, could barely be more effusive in his praise and admiration for the 33-year-old Reds’ record goalscorer, but did not mind playfully admitting that he will be setting that aside when the cup tie kicks off.

“If he is close enough he is getting kicked, I know that. Joe knows that too and he will give it back,” the former Ballymena United captain said.

“I’ll not be sharing a lift with him, I’ll not be talking to him on Friday until after the game. Him and I would text each other regularly but I think once Friday comes I’ll probably try to switch off from it and just concentrate on the game. Then, afterwards, hopefully bring him into the club at the Duns for a drink.”

Holy Cross Primary does not reopen after the Christmas break until Monday, but Kane is still expecting to hear from colleagues on the staff WhatsApp group, many of whom – unsurprisingly given the school’s location – are Cliftonville supporters.

“Joe and I see each other at break time and lunchtime, and it’s always good banter with the staff, especially since this Irish Cup draw paired our teams together,” he continued.

“There are a couple of diehard Reds supporters on the staff so I’ve been getting it a bit. All of the kids are Cliftonville mad and Joe Gormley mad too, but it’s brilliant for the kids to have someone like Joe to look up to. He’s a real role model for them all.”

Looking ahead to Friday night’s game on a more serious note, Kane knows from previous experience with Ballymena how important it will be for the Duns to pay close attention to prolific goalscorer Gormley.

“I can remember him being non-existent in games then the next thing you know he has popped up and scored the winner. You are left wondering ‘how has he done that?’,” commented Kane, who had a brief spell at Solitude in 2011.

“He is the best finisher in the Irish League now and one of the best in Irish League history, along with the likes of Glenn Ferguson.”

‘There’ll be an upset somewhere – why not us?’

If second-tier Dundela, currently third in the Championship, are to cause an upset by beating the side joint top of the Irish Premiership, they will have to overcome what has been a tough period for them.

After popular manager Niall Currie departed for Portadown in late October, they lost three league games in a row in December before drawing with Ards on New Year’s Eve, but have since seen three key players leave to join Currie at Shamrock Park, and another depart for Coleraine.

However, Kane insists morale at Wilgar Park is good under manager Paul Harbinson, so much so that it is not impossible for the Duns to create what he believes would be one of the biggest shocks in Irish Cup history – and he points to Premiership scalps already secured this season as evidence.

“It’s just on the night, really. We have beaten Crusaders and Carrick Rangers in cup competitions already this season so who is to say we can’t beat Cliftonville?” continued Kane, who has been the Duns’ captain in recent games while Jay Magee has been injured.

“There will be upsets across the fifth round and we are just hoping that we are the one. Look at Queen’s beating Linfield a few years ago. You are just hoping you can be that surprise package.

“Friday night under the lights, in front of the cameras. I know that when I played for Ballymena against lower league opposition sometimes the standard can drop a bit. We will be hoping some of their players are not mentally prepared correctly for the game and drop their standards a little, and that we can take them by surprise.

“The Irish League is probably as good as it has been in a long time so if we were to beat Cliftonville then it would be right up there in terms of cup shocks.”

Just don’t mention cup final memories

Having started his career as a youngster at Blackburn Rovers and had spells with Stockport County, Carlisle United and Darlington, Kane is the most experienced player in the Dundela squad – something he realises is important going into a match as big as this.

“The likes of myself, Jamie McGovern, Jay Magee and Willie Faulkner have all got that experience, so hopefully we can get in and around the young lads.

“There are a couple of young lads in the squad and I’ll just go round before the game and quietly have a word in their ear. I’ll be telling them to go and enjoy it because it is a big opportunity for them in front of the cameras.”

His 10 years at Ballymena, where he was the Sky Blues’ record appearance maker in the Irish Cup, included a League Cup success in 2017 and two County Antrim Shield wins.

He also played in two Irish Cup finals for the club, against Glenavon in 2014 under Glenn Ferguson and against Glentoran in 2020 under David Jeffrey, but would prefer not to discuss how they went.

“Sent off against Glenavon before losing and beaten in the last minute against Glentoran. Not good memories but it was brilliant to get to those finals. It’s an amazing day and an amazing week leading up to it.”

Gormley has also lost in two Irish Cup finals. Only one of these two good neighbours will still have the chance to talk about playing in a third in the staffroom on Monday.

Follow live coverage of Saturday’s 15 Irish Cup fifth round fixtures on ‘Sportsound’ on Radio Ulster from 14:00 GMT with live text commentary and in-game clips from selected fixtures on the BBC Sport website