Lisburn Distillery v Dungannon Swifts
Carling Premiership Fixture
Saturday 12th November 2011 – 3pm at Ballyskeagh.
Supporters Bus leaves Stangmore Park at 1.30pm for the game. Everyone is welcome.
Carrick Rangers 1 Dungannon Swifts 1
It was party time in Belfast at the weekend, but Dungannon Swifts had little reason to celebrate after another afternoon of frustration.
While the stars of the music world were in town, there was nothing to sing and dance about at Seaview where the weekend’s big basement battle finished in stalemate.
A second half strike from Stephen O’Neill rescued a deserved point for Carrick Rangers and stretched Dungannon’s winless run to eight league matches.
This was another fixture they will feel should have brought three points, but which illustrated the small margins that so often decide these games.
There was one penalty that was controversially awarded, another two which weren’t, and a moment’s lapse in concentration that denied Dungannon the victory.
The penalty that was given was scored by Joe McCready, arguably Swifts’ best player.
But it wasn’t enough to secure victory, with an unfortunate error presenting the ball to O’Neill for Carrick’s equaliser.
Ultimately a point is not a disaster. Dungannon stay ahead of Carrick and have actually gained a place, rising above this weekend’s opponents Lisburn Distillery on goal difference.
However, a record of two wins from 15 games is not good enough, and Dixie Robinson will know that has to improve if his side are to avoid a season-long fight for survival.
Robinson missed Saturday’s game because he was in London concluding transfer business, with Darren Murphy taking temporary charge.
His place on the pitch was filled by Ryan O’Neill, with McCready starting in place of Johnny Topley.
And the striker justified his recall by putting Dungannon in front after 18 minutes.
Stefan Lavery chased a long pass into the box but was sent crashing to the ground by Anto Lagan. McCready calmly dispatched the resulting penalty into the bottom left corner.
Both these teams are struggling at the wrong end of the table, with just five wins in 24 games between them prior to Saturday.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was a match of few chances with neither goalkeeper unduly troubled.
Declan Brown, making his debut for Carrick, turned away an early effort from Lavery while also blocking a Johnny Montgomery shot after a corner had been touched on.
Carrick’s first sight of goal came when Paul Heatley crossed to O’Neill. He controlled the ball with his chest but fired well over the crossbar.
Later in the half another Heatley delivery found the impressive Grant Hutchinson on the edge of the box, but again his effort lacked accuracy and failed to work the goalkeeper.
The Carrick fans’ frustration continued when the referee rejected a penalty appeal following a clash between Heatley and Terry Fitzpatrick in the box. While there may have been some contact, the striker seemed a little too eager to go down.
Yet it illustrated Carrick’s growing pressure and Niall Morgan had to make a top save in the 38th minute, stretching out a hand to help O’Neill’s 25-yard strike over the crossbar,
Just before half-time Dungannon looked to have another decent penalty shout when Michael Ward went down in the box. Again Lagan was the offender, but this time the appeals were rejected.
They had another chance from open play within minutes of the restart as McCready cut into the box, but he placed the ball just wide from close range.
Carrick’s use of the ball was good, but they rarely threatened the Swifts’ goal – until a defensive slip-up handed them the equaliser out of nothing.
An attempted back pass caught out the defence, and the ball was collected by O’Neill who ran through before blasting past a helpless Morgan.
Dungannon finished strongly. McCready turned a Craig McClean cross into the path of Ward but the goalkeeper managed to get something on his shot.
A long-range effort from McCready then flashed wide, while in the closing stages Fitzpatrick’s thumping 30-yard strike crashed back off the crossbar.
CARRICK RANGERS: Brown, Murray, Bell, Lagan, McClean, Smith, Deans (Anderson, 42), Hutchinson, O’Neill, McDowell (Lynch, 72), Heatley
Subs not used: Jalko, Hogan, Stewart
DGN SWIFTS: Morgan, Mullan, Montgomery, McCluskey, McCaffrey, Fitzpatrick, O’Neill, Ward, Lavery, McCready (Campbell, 84), McClean
Subs not used: C Forker, Funston, McKerr, Murphy
Referee: Hugh Carvill (Belfast)
Latest Result.
Carrick Rangers 1-1 Dungannon Swifts
(Joe McCready)
Team: Morgan, Mullan, Montgomery, Mccluskey, Mccaffery, Fitzpatrick, O’Neill, Ward, Lavery S, McCready, McClean.
Subs: Campbell, Forker C, Funston, McKerr, Murphy.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7fcnXauGUU?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0&w=500&h=375]
Who put the ball in the Carlisle net?
Swifts First team coach Rod McAree returns to Fulham this weekend to conduct some business for Dungannon Swifts and Dungannon United Youth, but Fulham have taken the opportunity to introduce him to the crowd on the pitch at their game v Spurs on Sunday. McAree wrote himself into the Fulham history books by scoring that goal, which the fans still sing about to this day.
Everyone at the Swifts want to wish Rod a great trip, and i’m sure we will hear a few choruses of “who put the ball in the Carlisle net?” on Sky on Sunday!
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
Linfield 1 Dungannon Swifts 0
A Dungannon Swifts side full of spirit fell just short at Windsor Park, but only after giving Linfield the fright of their lives on Halloween weekend.
The build-up to this game had been dominated by macabre predictions that Dungannon, haunted by a run of dismal results, would produce a horror show against the champions.
But it proved not to be the case, with a single strike from Aaron Burns proving the difference.
The defender shattered Swifts’ brave resistance in the 63rd minute, ghosting in to break the deadlock after Rory Patterson’s header had been parried.
It came as Dungannon were temporarily reduced to 10 men, after Johnny Topley was forced off the field to change a blood-soaked jersey.
While it was an unconvincing display from Linfield, they held on for an 11th league victory and now lead the table by five points with a game in hand.
Yet Swifts boss Dixie Robinson will wonder how his side didn’t get something from the fixture.
Stefan Lavery missed one terrific chance when through on goal while Ryan Mullan rattled the post in the closing stages as Linfield just about held on for the win.
But Robinson can take pride from a vastly improved performance, which laid to rest some of the ghosts from the previous weekend’s 5-0 drubbing against Glentoran.
Predictably Robinson opted for a defensive approach, at times putting 10 men behind the ball, and it frustrated the Blues for long periods.
The first incident of note came after 20 minutes when Damian Curran finished off a cross from Michael Carvill, but his goal was rightly ruled out for a push on the goalkeeper.
Otherwise it was proving a difficult afternoon for the Blues’ forward line, which struggled against Swifts’ highly disciplined, defensive game plan.
An injury to Alan Blayney meant former Dungannon ‘keeper Stuart Addis started in nets for Linfield, but he also had a relatively quiet afternoon.
His only task in the first half was to take possession of Lavery’s left-foot strike in the 37th minute after good approach work by Topley.
Certainly the home fans weren’t happy, and the boos which rang out as the teams walked off at half-time would have been hugely encouraging for Dungannon.
And things could have got even better two minutes into the second half. Terry Fitzpatrick played Lavery clean through, but his strike was tipped wide by Addis.
A minute later Lavery turned provider, touching on a corner from Darren Murphy towards Topley, but his strike across goal was blocked.
Yet the Linfield pressure had been slowly gathering, with the introduction of Patterson and Philip Lowry posing a fresh challenge for Dungannon.
Within four minutes of entering the action Patterson flicked on a corner from Robert Garrett, with Ryan McCluskey blocking the ball on the line.
Then, in the 63rd minute, the Blues finally broke through.
Another header from Patterson, this time on a deep Curran cross, was parried by the ‘keeper and Burns reacted first, firing home on the half-volley.
Now it was David Jeffrey’s turn to try and shut up shop, with Billy-Joe Burns replacing McAllister in a defensive move.
Swifts’ substitute Ryan O’Neill fired well wide from distance, before the woodwork cruelly denied the visitors a deserved equaliser.
Dermot McCaffrey pumped a long kick into the home box, and Mullan beat the ‘keeper to the ball but his header come back off the left post.
With Dungannon pushing men forward, Linfield could have added a second on the break.
Billy-Joe Burns pulled the ball back for Garrett but his low strike struck the post, while Niall Morgan also produced impressive blocks to twice thwart Patterson.
LINFIELD: Addis, Douglas, Gault (Lowry, 56), Curran, Carvill, A Burns, Fordyce (Patterson, 56), Garrett, Ervin, Watson, McAllister (BJ Burns, 70)
Subs not used: Murphy, Casement
DGN SWIFTS: Morgan, McCluskey, Mullan, Montgomery (O’Neill, 76), McClean, S Lavery (McCready, 76), Fitzpatrick, McCaffrey, Murphy (McGerrigan, 70), Topley, Ward
Subs not used: Campbell, Funston
Referee: Raymond Crangle (Belfast)
