After beating three Crues players, Matt Hazley passes the ball to Josh Cahoon to knock the Swifts into the lead. Crusaders 0-1 Dungannon Swifts.
It was another afternoon of capital punishment for Dungannon Swifts as Crusaders staged an impressive second half comeback at Seaview.
A double from Jordan Owens proved the difference as the Crues closed the gap at the top of the league to five points.
This result maintains Dungannon’s poor away record against Belfast opposition.
Some 15 months and 12 games have now passed since their last victory in the capital – a 2-0 win at Donegal Celtic in September 2011.
And it continues another unwanted sequence, with Swifts’ winless run stretching to 10 games.
Those facts aside, however, this was another encouraging performance from Dungannon.
They impressed in the first period and deservedly led through Josh Cahoon’s strike, his fifth in as many games and ninth of the campaign to date.
The turning point came 20 seconds after the restart when Owens’ volley drew Crusaders level.
It set the tone for a second half of dominance from the home side, and Owens secured the points when he slotted home from Josh Robinson’s cross.
Afterwards Dungannon boss Darren Murphy reflected on another performance packed with effort and commitment.
But he has been in Irish League football long enough to know it is a results business.
Two wins from 18 games is simply not good enough and has to change – starting against basement side Donegal Celtic this weekend.
Those are the type of games he will have targeted and which will ultimately determine Swifts’ fate, rather than the tougher tests against the likes of Crusaders.
Stephen Baxter’s side had lost just once in their last eight matches and were unbeaten at Seaview this season, so Murphy would not have expected to profit from the match.
Yet Dungannon were ahead after 21 minutes. Matt Hazley received possession, ghosting past several defenders before setting up Cahoon for a simple tap-in.
Neal Gawley celebrates with Swifts Goal Scorer, Josh Cahoon
It came during an impressive spell from Dungannon. Moments earlier a cross-shot from Hazley struck the top of the crossbar.
Crusaders had started the game on top with Timmy Adamson’s glancing header drawing an early save from Niall Morgan.
Soon afterwards the impressive Gary McCutcheon crossed towards Owens, but he sent a header wastefully wide from six yards.
Cahoon then broke the deadlock, but Crusaders continued to threaten.
McCutcheon’s angled drive was inches wide, Owens headed off target before Morgan made another good stop to thwart Robinson.
An entertaining half finished with Dungannon going close via an ambitious effort from Chris Lavery, which flashed narrowly over the crossbar.
Clearly unhappy with his side’s sloppy performance, Baxter headed straight down the tunnel at half-time.
But whatever he said during the interval had the desired effect, with Crusaders levelling 20 seconds after the restart.
And it was a goal of some style. A clearance dropped to Owens and he sent a volley crashing past a helpless Morgan from 12 yards.
Suddenly it was a different game with the Crues seizing the initiative.
David Rainey and Colin Coates saw efforts blocked while the ‘keeper made a magnificent one-handed save to claw Owens’ header away from goal.
Morgan’s efforts were keeping Dungannon in the match, and he made another fine block to prevent McCutcheon converting Rainey’s pass.
But there was nothing he could do about Owens’ 69th minute winner.
Robinson crossed from the right wing and Owens stretched out a leg to turn the ball past Morgan, completing an impressive Crues comeback.
CRUSADERS: O’Neill, McKeown, Magowan, Coates, Adamson (Rainey, 27), Robinson, McCutcheon, McMaster, Watson, McClean, Owens
Subs not used: McBride, Leeman, Snoddy, Dillon
DGN SWIFTS: Morgan, R O’Neill (S O’Neill, 75), Grieve, Brennan, E Friars, Harper, C Lavery, Cahoon, Fitzpatrick, Hazley (McMinn, 60), Gawley (S Lavery, 75)
Subs not used: Montgomery, Glackin
Referee: Andrew Davey (Bangor)