It may have lacked the drama of last week’s Mid-Ulster derby, but it was another positive result for Dungannon Swifts at Crusaders on Tuesday night.
A second half header from Ryan Harpur saw Dungannon come from behind for the second time in four days to claim a point.
The midfielder capitalised on a goalkeeping error to cancel out Gary McCutcheon’s opener and maintain Swifts’encouraging start to the new campaign.
In a game of few clear-cut chances, Crusaders will probably feel they did enough to merit victory.
However, a combination of wasteful finishing and some impressive defending from the visitors saw the match finish level.
Dungannon boss Darren Murphy was happy to settle for a point.
“I’m well pleased with a point because I’ve come here with teams in the past and been totally outplayed,” he said.
“Crusaders probably had a lot of the ball tonight, but I don’t think they really troubled us that much.
“They played into the way we wanted them to play. They knocked balls into certain areas which we were able to deal with.
“Our goalkeeper Gareth Buchanan made one good save in either half, but apart from that I felt we were relatively comfortable.”
These teams had met 13 times in the league during the last decade, with both sides winning four games and drawing the other five.
So it was perhaps little surprise that a hard-fought encounter ended all square.
A scoreless first half produced little in the way of goalmouth action, with the best chances falling to Crusaders.
After 10 minutes a cross from Craig McClean was flicked on to Jordan Owens but the striker, eight yards out, saw his snapshot blocked by the goalkeeper.
The same player was equally culpable four minutes later when Declan Caddell turned McCutcheon’s free-kick back into the box, with Owens heading over from close range.
Dungannon’s only chance of the half was a Harpur free-kick, but his ambitious effort was easily dealt with by Sean O’Neill.
The Crues went close at the end of the half when Paul Heatley crossed but Timmy Adamson poked the ball wide at the near post.
New signing Dermot McCaffrey was brought on as a second half substitute for Dungannon – but his first touch in a Swifts jersey was one to forget.
He unwittingly got in the way of McCutcheon’s shot, with the deflection taking it beyond the reach of the goalkeeper and into the net.
Dungannon almost conceded a second when Owens’ clever effort came back off the crossbar.
And the visitors took full advantage of that let-off, equalising in the 67th minute.
A cross from Cameron Grieve was missed by the goalkeeper, and Harpur headed home his first goal of the season from close range.
Crusaders pushed for a late winner. Heatley had a shot saved after cutting in from the left, Eamonn McAllister’s lob was tipped over while Chris Morrow’s powerful drive was blocked.
But the best chance fell to Adamson in stoppage time. David McAllister swung the ball in but the former Swifts striker headed straight at the goalkeeper from a brilliant position.
CRUSADERS: O’Neill, Magowan, Coates, Morrow, Adamson, Caddell (Snoddy, 85), McCutcheon (A McAllister, 72), McClean, Owens, Heatley (D McAllister, 80), King
Subs not used: Robinson, Watson
DGN SWIFTS: Buchanan, McCullough, Brennan, Copeland, McKerr (McCaffrey, 49), Harpur, Fitzpatrick, Grieve, Costello (Douglas, 64), Boyce, S Lavery
Subs not used: C Lavery, Doyle, Hutchinson
Referee: Colin Burns (Newtownabbey)