Fixture Change v Ballymena United
Dungannon Swifts v Ballymena United fixture which was originally scheduled for Saturday 3rd November 2012, will now take place on Friday 2nd November at Stangmore Park. Kick off will commence at 7.45pm.
Cliftonville 4 Dungannon Swifts 1 – Match Report
It has been almost five years since Dungannon Swifts last beat Cliftonville, but the wait for that elusive victory will drag on a little bit longer.
The latest setback came in North Belfast at the weekend as two goals from Liam Boyce helped the Reds return to the top of the table with this emphatic win.
Sometimes the final score doesn’t tell the full story of a match, but this was not one of those days.
Cliftonville outplayed Dungannon from start to finish and, with a bit more accuracy in front of goal, could have won by an even greater margin.
For Darren Murphy and Rodney McAree it was a hugely frustrating and disappointing afternoon, just a week after a terrific draw against Linfield.
The only player to emerge with any credit is goalkeeper Niall Morgan, who made several crucial saves to prevent this defeat turning into a rout.
Otherwise it was a jaded, lethargic performance which was never going to be good enough against an impressive, enterprising Cliftonville side.
Once Boyce scored the Reds’ second just before half-time, adding to Joe Gormley’s early strike, there appeared no way back for Dungannon.
Boyce made it 3-0 with a superb solo effort before Martin Donnelly added a fourth.
The goal of the game came from a Dungannon player, Stephen O’Neill, but it was no more than a consolation with their fate already sealed.
So Swifts’ winless run against Cliftonville now stands at a depressing 15 matches, stretching all the way back to early 2008.
It was always going to be a tall order to break that sequence on Saturday, and especially when Gormley gave the home side an early lead.
Some impressive interplay saw George McMullan feed Ciaran Caldwell and, although the goalkeeper got a touch to his strike, Gormley was free to tap home at the back post.
It followed a bright start from the Reds. Inside the first minute Morgan had to make a smart double-save to thwart Boyce and Gormley in quick succession.
Dungannon’s first foray forward came via Michael McKerr, who broke down the right wing before supplying a low cross which rebounded off the outside of the post.
Their best chance came when a back pass from Jamie McGovern fell short, but the ‘keeper was quickly off his line to prevent McKerr taking advantage.
That aside, Cliftonville’s front two continued to threaten the visitors’ goal.
A clever pass from midfield sent Gormley through but Morgan blocked with his feet, then Boyce headed wide from Jody Lynch’s corner.
It seemed only a matter of time before they scored again, and it came in the 41st minute.
Just like the opening goal, it followed some neat passing. Caldwell found Gormley, and he unselfishly squared for Boyce to convert.
Late in the half Gormley outmuscled Johnny Montgomery, only to shoot narrowly wide.
Unfortunately for Dungannon, the second half followed a similar pattern. Lynch and Gormley went close before Morgan made a brilliant fingertip save to direct Barry Holland’s header over.
However, he was helpless to prevent Cliftonville’s third. An error from Adam McMinn allowed Boyce through, and he skipped past two defenders before firing home.
Dungannon substitute Sean Friars drew a save from the ‘keeper, before Donnelly completed the rout when he converted George McMullan’s cross.
The only positive for Swifts, apart from the final whistle, was O’Neill’s goal. He took a touch before firing home on the half-volley, but it mattered little.
CLIFTONVILLE: Devlin, McGovern, R Scannell, Johnston (Knowles, 70), Holland, Caldwell (Garrett, 79), McMullan, Smyth, Gormley, Lynch (Donnelly, 63), Boyce
Subs not used: O’Carroll, Cosgrove
DGN SWIFTS: Morgan, R O’Neill, McMinn, Montgomery (Cahoon, 70), E Friars, McKerr, Harpur, Hutchinson, C Lavery (S Friars, 67), S O’Neill, Gawley (Topley, 70)
Subs not used: Brennan, Murphy
Referee: Tim Marshall (Irvinestown)
Dungannon Swifts 1 Linfield 1 – Match Report
He may be a boyhood Linfield supporter but Joshua Cahoon left the Blues cursing their luck after snatching a late equaliser for Dungannon Swifts.
The young striker scored four minutes into stoppage time as the champions were held on a dramatic afternoon at Stangmore Park.
It maintained Cahoon’s remarkable record of coming off the bench to rescue Dungannon with a late goal, but none will have been as special as this.
Cahoon previously played with Linfield’s reserves and still has an affection for the club, but he showed no mercy when presented with the chance.
This is a point which will be much more valued by Dungannon than Linfield.
Leading through David Armstrong’s stunning strike, the Blues dominated the match and were seconds from claiming their fifth league win.
But they paid a high price for missed chances with Cahoon’s equaliser.
It was only part of the story of a dramatic finish, however, with the game exploding into controversy in the final seconds.
First Billy-Joe Burns was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident then, on the final whistle, both teams became embroiled in an on-pitch fracas.
Later Terry Fitzpatrick and Armstrong were sent off for their part in the ugly scenes. Whether that is the end of the matter remains to be seen.
Both managers had other concerns on their mind and were keen to play down the controversy.
Darren Murphy preferred to focus on a rousing response from Dungannon at the end of a week which saw him threaten to step aside as head coach.
For Linfield boss David Jeffrey it was another frustrating afternoon, and he was left shaking his head on the sidelines after Cahoon’s equaliser.
His side have made a patchy start to the new campaign, including a dismal home loss to Ballinamallard last weekend, but they were ahead after 12 minutes on Saturday.
It may have come from an unlikely source but Armstrong showed all the technique of a forward as his 20-yard effort rocketed into the top corner.
Although a great strike, Dungannon will be disappointed that he wasn’t closed down sooner.
That set the tempo for a first half dominated by the Blues, who ironically were playing in their red and white away strip.
Stefan Lavery crosses the ball into the box
Armstrong went close again when he was picked out by Niall Quinn’s free-kick. His header had the goalkeeper worried but flashed inches over the crossbar.
The dangerous Peter Thompson also showed signs of his threat. An attempted chip over Niall Morgan landed wide while a turn and shot flashed off target.
Linfield’s dominance continued in the early stages of the second half.
Another inviting free-kick from Quinn was headed on for Burns, but the goalkeeper stretched out a glove to palm his header away. From the corner, Armstrong drilled a low shot wide.
Later a missed header allowed Burns in but his strike was blocked by the ‘keeper’s legs. The ball reached Damian Curran but Morgan did brilliantly to get a hand to his deflected effort.
It took an hour for Dungannon to draw Alan Blayney into action. Stefan Lavery outpaced his marker but his low shot lacked the power to trouble him.
But in a rousing finale from the home side, Ryan O’Neill worked the ‘keeper with a 20-yard strike while a long-range Chris Lavery drive also drew an impressive stop.
Burns then saw red for lashing out at Adam McMinn, yet it seemed the Blues would hold on – until Cahoon’s dramatic equaliser.
Emmet Friars’ ball forward wasn’t properly cleared, with the striker perfectly placed on the edge of the box to fire home.
DGN SWIFTS:Morgan, R O’Neill, Montgomery, McMinn, E Friars, Harpur (Fitzpatrick, 46), Hutchinson, S Lavery, S Friars (C Lavery, 46), S O’Neill (Cahoon, 80), McKerr
Subs not used: Topley, Brennan.
LINFIELD: Blaney, Armstrong, Murphy, Henderson, Curran (Fordyce, 82), Thompson, Burns, Garrett (Mulgrew, 71), Ervin, McCaul (Carvill, 71), Quinn.
Subs not used: Hanley, Browne.
Referee: Arnold Hunter (Maguiresbridge).
Dungannon Swifts 2 Crusaders 0
Emmet Friars celebtrates scoring the opening goal
Dungannon Swifts claimed an impressive win over title hopefuls Crusaders on a day when two unwanted records fell at Stangmore Park.
They secured a first home victory – at the fourth attempt – after goals in either half from Emmet Friars and Joshua Cahoon.
This result also ended Dungannon’s five-year wait for a home win against Stephen Baxter’s men.
And few could argue that it wasn’t deserved after a superb 90-minute performance which mixed attacking flair with defensive discipline.
Friars put them in front in the 39th minute with a thumping header, before Cahoon wrapped up the points with another late strike.
It further cemented the young player’s fast-growing reputation at the club.
The Crues will point to several excellent chances which were spurned in the first half, but overall it was a disappointing display from the all-Ireland champions.
A clearly frustrated Baxter kept his side locked in the changing room for 30 minutes after the final whistle to sort out what went wrong.
For Dungannon, however, it was another big step forward.
Their recent record against the Crues is dismal, including a defeat in last season’s Irish Cup semi-final, but this is a major boost to confidence.
The opening goal came from an unlikely source, with Friars meeting a cross from his brother Sean and powering home a header from six yards.
That first half lead was just about deserved, albeit Dungannon rode their luck at times.
An example came after six minutes when Chris Morrow fed Timmy Adamson. His low shot beat the goalkeeper but shaved the outside of the back post.
Sean Friars drilled an early free-kick wide for Dungannon before Adam McMinn missed a wonderful chance to open the scoring.
A quick break saw two defenders charge forward, Friars squaring to McMinn, but he miscued when well-placed in front of goal – a case of right place, wrong man.
In a half which swung from end to end, Crusaders then should have edged ahead.
After the goalkeeper produced a superb block to deny Paul Leeman, the ball dropped to Paul Heatley but he dragged a low shot inches wide.
Friars’ goal seemed to jolt Crusaders into life, and they almost levelled soon afterwards.
Gary McCutcheon latched on to a penetrating through-ball and ghosted past his marker, only to be thwarted by a fine block from Niall Morgan.
The one moment of concern for Swifts came at the end of the half when Sean Friars, already on a yellow card, got involved in a needless dispute with Crues ‘keeper Sean O’Neill.
Baxter wasted little time in changing things around, bringing on Jordan Owens and Declan Caddell at the start of the second period.
Stefan Lavery battles with possession
At the other end, the Friars brothers were continuing to cause problems.
Another Sean corner found Emmet but this time his header went over, while a repeat incident from a free-kick produced a similar outcome.
Crusaders rarely threatened, with Baxter cutting a frustrated figure on the touchline.
They did have a chance when Owens peeled off his marker to meet a cross from Craig McClean, but his header went wide of the back post.
And Dungannon wrapped up the points two minutes from time through Cahoon.
Michael McKerr burst down the right wing before crossing to Terry Fitzpatrick, and his header was perfectly placed for the substitute to drive home.
DGN SWIFTS: Morgan, R O’Neill, Montgomery, McMinn, E Friars, Fitzpatrick, Topley, Hazley, S Friars (McKerr 76), S O’Neill (Cahoon 85), S Lavery (Hutchinson, 87)
Subs not used: Brennan, C Lavery
CRUSADERS: O’Neill, Leeman, Magowan, McClean, Morrow (Snoddy, 52), Robinson, McMaster (Owens, 46), Watson (Caddell, 46), Heatley, Adamson, McCutcheon
Subs not used: Gibson, Rainey
Referee: Hugh Carvill (Belfast)
Ballymena United 1 Dungannon Swifts 1
A delighted Josh Cahoon celebrates after scoring in the second minute of injury time.
The substitute scored two minutes into added time as the Tyrone side avoided a third consecutive defeat at The Showgrounds.
Just as against Portadown a fortnight earlier, the gamble of bringing Cahoon off the bench as a makeshift striker paid off big time for Dungannon.
The equaliser was just about deserved, although Ballymena boss Glenn Ferguson will be bitterly disappointed that his players did not see the game out.
They looked to be on course for a third win of the new campaign when David Cushley fired them into an 82nd minute lead.
But Cahoon, drafted off the bench midway through the second half, slotted home in the closing stages after a free-kick had not been cleared.
Neither ‘keeper will want to see a replay of their hand in the goals, with both strikes finding the net perhaps a little too easily.
That aside, this was a much improved performance from Swifts’ previous game against Glentoran.
Ballymena have made an encouraging start to the season but struggled to break down a well-organised Dungannon line-up.
The only setback for head coaches Darren Murphy and Rodney McAree was another injury worry.
Midfielder Jamie Glackin, handed his first start after impressing against the Glens, was stretchered off and joins an ever-growing casualty list at the club.
Glackin was one of four changes to the team with Murphy also making a rare start at left-back. Adam McMinn and Stefan Lavery were both recalled.
A goalless opening half was not without chances, and both goalkeepers were called into action.
Niall Morgan’s first test came via a long-range Tony Kane free-kick, awarded after a foul by Ryan O’Neill, but the ball was safely collected.
Stefan Lavery battles to keep the possession despite the best efforts of Ballymena to cut him down.
More difficult was Swifts’ first attempt on target. A cross from Murphy found Terry Fitzpatrick, but his strike was impressively blocked by Dwayne Nelson.
The busiest member of the Dungannon panel was undoubtedly physio Steven Symington.
He was called into action after 30 minutes to treat McMinn, while Lavery and Glackin also needed treatment – the latter’s ankle injury of most concern.
In terms of the match itself, Morgan produced two impressive saves in as many minutes.
The first came from a Davidson shot which appeared to be going wide, but the ‘keeper had to thrust out a glove to ensure it didn’t sneak into his far corner.
Then a quick free-kick found Aaron Stewart and he crossed to Gary Thompson, whose volley was again superbly blocked by Morgan.
Davidson was causing problems for Dungannon and a finely-crafted delivery to the back post found Allan Jenkins, but his effort went wide.
A lacklustre second half burst into life in the 72nd minute.
Cushley’s free-kick was spilled by the goalkeeper and hammered into the net by David Munster, only to be ruled out for offside.
Morgan redeemed that error moments later, however, stretching himself to tip Johnny Taylor’s header away from the top corner from another free-kick.
But it seemed his efforts would be in vain when Ballymena snatched an 84th minute lead.
Alan Teggart latched on to a goal kick and laid the ball off for Cushley, whose left-foot shot seemed to beat the ‘keeper a little too easily at his near post.
A dejected McAree turned and shook his head on the touchline.
Yet, not for the first time this season, Dungannon would come fighting back.
Deep in stoppage time a free-kick was touched on by Johnny Topley, with Nelson unable to prevent Cahoon’s close-range strike from finding the net.
BALLYMENA UNITED: Nelson, Kane, Stewart, Thompson (Surgenor, 80), Taggart, Jenkins, Cushley, Munster, Taylor, Davidson (Teggart, 52), McCabe (Baker, 52)
Subs not used: Black, Rodgers
DGN SWIFTS: Morgan, Murphy (C Lavery 84), Montgomery, McMinn, Fitzpatrick, Hazley, S O’Neill (Cahoon, 69), S Lavery, R O’Neill, Topley, Glackin (S Friars, 53)
Subs not used: Curran, Brennan
Referee: Ross Dunlop (Carrickfergus)
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August Player of the Month – Emmet Friars
