We would like to take the opportunity to wish the following players well in their future footballing careers. We also thank them for their commitment to DSFC when playing for our Club. Thank you.
Ben Cushnie – Loan
Darren Cole – Loan
Jordan Jenkins – Loan
Mayowa Animasahun – Loan
Caolan Coyle – Portadown
Ryan Mayse – Portadown
Michael Ruddy – Contract expired
Marc Walsh – Contract expired
Joe McCready – Contract expired
Gerardo Bruna – Contract expired
Rodney McAree has moved to make his first new signing since returning as Swifts Manager. Goalkeeper, Conor Mitchell, signed on the dotted line at Stangmore Park.
The twenty seven year old shot stopper joins us at Stangmore Park to bolster our goalkeeping options. Rodney McAree is delighted with his new signing who played the last two seasons with Warrenpoint Town. He is a former Northern Ireland goalkeeper who has been on the books of Linfield, St Johnstone and Burnley.
“Conor has got good experience, he’s got great presence, he’s a good organiser and he talks very well. His professionalism around training and how he conducts himself is second to none, so he’ll certainly bring good competition along with Decky (Dunne). There’s already a very good GK at the Club in Decky. Someone who I thought done every well in the play off games but ultimately we can’t rely on one good goalkeeper to get us through the course of a season. We have to look and try and bring in more quality and we have done that along with Conor. We are looking forward to working with him.”
Rodney McAree – DSFC Manager
Welcome to Stangmore Park, Conor Mitchell. We wish you every Success in a Swifts shirt.
Dungannon Swifts FC are delighted to announce that Dungannon man, Rodney McAree, has returned to the Club as Manager.
Rodney who took the Club to League Cup success in 2018, against Ballymena United, is really looking forward to getting back involved at DSFC.
I’m delighted to be coming back home to Stangmore Park, this opportunity has come at a good time for myself and I’m fortunate. It will give me the opportunity to try and unite Dungannon United Youth and Dungannon Swifts and make that bond even stronger than it already is. I can’t wait to get started at this stage.
I’m really excited at the challenge which lies ahead.
Rodney McAree – DSFC Manager
The backroom staff will be announced at a later stage.
Welcome back to Dungannon Swifts FC, Rodney. We wish you every success as our new Manager.
All at Stangmore Park would like to thank Dean for his time at the Club, his dedication to the job and all the time and effort he has put in since taking on the task of DSFC Manager.
Dean departs with our sincere gratitude and very best wishes for the future.
We will immediately begin the process to appoint a new Manager and update you with any further announcements where possible.
Saturday 22nd April, Stangmore Park
Tense, thrilling and ultimately triumphant – the Swifts showed tremendous character in a titanic battle against Portadown to take a crucial step towards securing their Premiership place next season.
Dungannon had to take the lead three times to wrestle three crucial points from the visitors in a result which condemned their mid Ulster rivals to automatic relegation.
Dean Shields’ men now face the prospect of a two-game play-off against Championship runners-up Warrenpoint Town to extend their 20-year stay in the NIFL’s top tier.
It was the biggest game at Stangmore for several years and there was an atmosphere and attendance to match, with both sides roared on throughout by a huge support.
Having at one point been 15 points adrift at the foot of the table, Portadown had narrowed the gap to Dungannon to just two and hoped they could continue their Houdini act against a home side who’d collected just one point from their last three games.
However, it was the Swifts who looked the more confident team for much of the opening half, dominating possession and looking dangerous from set pieces.
Portadown got a warning after 19 minutes when a corner from James Knowles was headed onto the foot of the post by Cahal McGinty.
A minute later another perfect Knowles delivery saw Ethan McGee rise like a salmon and head into the corner to put Dungannon into a deserved lead.
The vocal home support in the corner of the ground were briefly celebrating again two minutes later when Jordan Jenkins hit the net, only for the offside flag to go up.
Portadown grew more into the game in the latter stages of the half, with Steven Scott perfectly positioned to head a Cathair Friel header off the line, but the score remained 1-0 at the half-time whistle.
The home team were forced into two substitutions at the break, as Corey Smith and Mayowa Animasahun replaced the injured Marc Walsh and Caolan Marron.
And the second-half immediately saw a reversal in momentum, with Portadown starting to impose themselves much more on the game.
When the equaliser came it was from a familiar source – former Swifts man Paul McElroy had scored a hatrick in the last meeting at Shamrock Park and he levelled the tie on 58 minutes when he tapped in from close range after a deep cross was headed into his path by Lee Chapman.
Portadown’s tails were up and they set out in search of a second goal. However, Dungannon instead re-took the lead five minutes later when Jenkins burst past two Portadown defenders to collect a long clearance by Dean Curry and coolly slot the ball into the corner of the net.
If it looked like Portadown’s bubble had been burst, there was more drama to come just minutes later as McElroy equalised again.
A tame cross from the left found McElroy eight yards out and his snap shot struck the crossbar and rebounded off the back of keeper Declan Dunne to cross the line.
The game – and top-flight survival – was in the balance again but it was Dungannon who somehow summoned the spirit to find a winner.
Corey Smith had been tying Portadown defenders in knots each time he got on the ball on the left and when substitute Bruna fed him on the touchline with 10 minutes to go, he twisted and turned before sending a low ball into the box which was met by an unmarked Michael O’Connor to send the home fans delirious again.
Dungannon then withstood some inevitable late pressure, with Dunne batting the ball away from a close range connection from a corner in injury time to see out a famous victory.
Assuming the Swifts don’t beat Newry by 13 goals next weekend, they now enter a play-off against Warrenpoint on May 2 and 5 to keep their place in the Premiership.
Assistant manager Tony Gorman said there was a mixture of relief and joy after the game as the focus now shifts to the next big challenge.
“The threat of relegation was hanging over us, and in such a pressure game and a big crowd and against a very difficult opponent, we’re delighted the boys have come out on top,” he said.
“I thought we started the game really well, the first half-hour. A wee bit disappointed we didn’t have a two-goal lead at half-time.
“The second half-then was one of those where Portadown just went for it because they were playing for their survival. We’re just delighted we’ve come out on top of a five-goal thriller.”
Full interview available to watch here: https://youtu.be/jl67B69odP0
Swifts: Dunne, Marron (Animasahun, 46), Knowles, Mayse (Bruna, 76), O’Connor, Curry, McGinty, Walsh, McGee, Jenkins (Moore, 83), Scott (O’Kane, 58). Subs: Nelson, O’Kane, Smith (Walsh, 76). Unused subs: Nelson, Lynch.
Portadown: Barr, Upton, Wilson, Russell (Balde, 80), Chapman, Archer, Rogers, McCawl (Igiehon, 90), Friel, McElroy, Walker (O’Sullivan, 56). Unused subs: Mastny, Stedman, Teggart, Jordan.
Referee: Tony Clarke