It was a black night against the Whites as Dungannon Swifts’ unbeaten start to the new league campaign came to an end at Lisburn Distillery.
Two goals in three first-half minutes saw the Tyrone side crash to defeat at Ballyskeagh, where Tim McCann’s struggling side finally got their season up and running.
And a bad night was made worse after two Dungannon players were taken to hospital with injuries.
Summer signings Grant Hutchinson (concussion) and Cameron Grieve (ankle) were both stretchered off in the first half before being taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital for assessment.
The two were subsequently released. Grieve has ankle ligament damage – but no break – and both will be assessed at training on Thursday night.
Dungannon started slowly and quickly found themselves 2-0 down after strikes from David McCullough and then Gary Liggett.
It was not until the second half that they came into the game, with Sean Friars pulling a goal back.
That was the signal for a frantic finale from Swifts, with Friars then hitting the bar and Matt Hazley seeing an effort cleared off the line.
Head coach Darren Murphy admitted their poor start was costly.
“We didn’t perform for the first 50 minutes or so, and in the Premiership you can’t come and play for a half and expect to get something from the game,” he said.
“Distillery started well and put us under a lot of pressure, and they took their chances when they came.
“We had strong words at half-time, but you shouldn’t have to do that. The players should already have the right supplication, desire and hunger.
“In the end, yes, we put them under pressure and had chances, but over the 90 minutes Distillery probably deserved the three points.”
Dungannon were two goals down inside 18 minutes.
The first came via a superb cross from Jordan Forsythe which found McCullough, and he powered home a header from eight yards.
Hutchinson then missed a great chance to level, firing over from inside the box, before Distillery doubled their lead from the resulting kick-out.
The ball was played up field and into the path of Liggett, who held off the challenge of Adam McMinn before placing a left-foot effort past the goalkeeper.
Dungannon finally began to threaten towards the end of the half. Johnny Topley, on in place of the stricken Hutchinson, tested Lee Windrum with a downward header while Stephen O’Neill also drew a decent save from the Whites’ goalkeeper.
But Distillery had found a new confidence which carried into the second half, and Curran made another save to block Johnny Harkness’s free-kick.
They should have added to their lead through Scott Davidson, who somehow scuffed the ball wide when faced with an open goal, and then Liggett who was foiled superbly by Curran.
It seemed Distillery may pay for their profligacy when Dungannon pulled a goal back, Sean Friars’ low free-kick beating the wall and the goalkeeper a little too easily.
Dungannon pushed desperately for an equaliser but couldn’t find a way through.
LISBURN DISTILLERY: Windrum, Smyth, Harkness, Hunter, McVeigh, McCullough, McCann, Melly (Davidson, 20), Forsythe, Liggett, Halliday (Hughes, 57)
Subs not used: Brennan, Beggs, Ferguson
DGN SWIFTS: Curran, R O’Neill, McMinn, E Friars, Grieve (Cahoon, 45), Hutchinson (Topley, 33), Fitzpatrick, Hazley, Gawley (S Friars, 68), S O’Neill, McKerr
Subs not used: S Lavery, Cahoon
Referee: Mervyn Smyth (Belfast)
MATCH PHOTOS CAN BE VIEWED IN OUR ONLINE GALLERY.
