Superb Swifts Seal Final Spot

It was a very good Friday for the Swifts as they created more history, reaching their second successive – and only third ever – Irish Cup final after defeating Cliftonville on penalty kicks.

Pre-match, Swifts manager, Rodney McAree, made three changes to his side which were defeated 2-1 by Coleraine six days ago. He replaced Alex Henderson, Caolan Marron, and Mal Smith with Declan Dunne, Cahal McGinty, and Leo Alves.

The game kicked off with two sets of evidently nervous teams on the Windsor Park pitch. Cliftonville did have more of the ball in the opening stages, creating a couple of half chances, but not troubling Dunne in goal.

However, whilst not massively scaring Morrison in the Cliftonville goal, the Swifts did have chances of their own. First was a well hit Kobei Moore shot from just outside the area, which went narrowly over the crossbar, and also, a Gaël Bigirimana shot from thirty yards out, which was gathered up by the Cliftonville number thirty one.

Whilst the Swifts grew into game, they were lacking any clear cut chances. However, before the end of what can be described as an uneventful half, typical of a cup match, the north Belfast side created the two best opportunities of the game so far. A Jonny Addis free kick came first. It came just outside the box, and was whipped around the blue wall, only to go narrowly wide. Also, captain, Rory Hale, sent a great ball through to January signing, Brian Healy, who was one on one with the goalkeeper, only for Danny Wallace to make an exceptional last ditch challenge to keep the match scoreless.

This was the last event of the half, ending 0-0.

Undoubtedly, there was more direct attacking football in the second period, and people all around the country must have been wondering how the Swifts did not score on a number of occasions.

Both of these chances began with former Cliftonville player, Shea Gordon, and were almost identical to each other. First, a ball was played through to the temporary right back with just the goalkeeper to beat, but the man in black and yellow stood tall and saved. On eighty six minutes, the same happened again – ball through to Gordon, saved by Morrison. However, this time, the ball fell to substitute, Andrew Mitchell, who looked certain to score, however his header went over the bar for the game to remain scoreless.

The Swifts’ defence were resolute throughout the second half, hardly giving the Reds a single opportunity throughout. All Cliftonville had to show was a shot from McStravick into the hands of Declan Dunne, and a hit from Healy which was blazed over the upright.

After three minutes of additional time, referee, Chris Morrison, blew his full time whistle, and just like the final last year, extra time was required.

The Swifts came out all guns blazing at the beginning of the first period, with the ball barely seeing itself out of the Cliftonville half. Deservedly so, the deadlock was broken eight minutes into the first half of extra time. After the ball fell to Andrew Mitchell on the right hand side of the pitch, he got past his man, passed a ball into the area, which found Kealan Dillon, who smashed his first time shot into the goal to make it 1-0, to the delight of the travelling support.

Kealan described his goal after the game, saying:

“Look it’s a tough game, it’s not often I get the extra time, it’s not normally I get to the end of the ninety, but I think everyone has to do their shift, look the ball falls to me in the box and luckily it goes in I put it away. Like I said I should probably score more goals. I back myself when I get in around the box to have a shot, tonight it’s come off.”

There would be no further involvements in this half, ending 1-0.

The Swifts would have another good opportunity at the beginning of the second period. Sean McAllister, who was making his first appearance since getting injured in the Irish Cup quarter final, made a great run with the ball down the line before playing to Mitchell, whose shot hit the side netting.

As the Swifts kept the Reds at bay for most of the second half, disaster struck as there was déjá vu for the Swifts in the last kick of the game. Keenan Hawthorne whipped in a great corner to a dangerous area, only for the ball to direct off the head of Danny Wallace and into the goal to equalise for Cliftonville, breaking the hearts of the Dungannon Swifts players, management, and supporters.

This was the last kick, with nothing to separate the teams after one hundred and twenty minutes, so penalties were needed to decide the game.

This was a true sucker punch for all everyone, and after Rory Hale won the coin toss to take first, it seemed it was all going wrong for the Swifts.

However, this did not phase the first three takers, Kealan Dillion, Adam Glenny, and Gaël Bigirimana as they scored their spot kicks. The Reds were able to match this, with Gormley, Curran, and Hale scoring too. Sheridan was next to take, and his penalty was saved by Dunne in the bottom corner, and after Sean McAllister scored his into the top corner, it was advantage Swifts, leaving the next taker, Harry Wilson under immense pressure. This got to him, as he put his penalty wide, sending everyone in the club into dreamland, as they reached the Irish Cup final again.

After the game, assistant manager, Dixie Robinson, addressed his thoughts on the match. He was replacing manager Rodney McAree, who has very unfortunately lost his father-in-law overnight. We send our sincere sympathy to Rodney and Adele, and the entire McAree and Tate families.

Dixie explained his thoughts, saying:

“It’s the stuff of dreams, to be honest with you. When you when you think of the achievements we have just made tonight and hopefully we can go one step further and create another bit of history. I thought the players were phenomenal. You know, to have the character to come back in the penalty kicks after conceding right at the last kick of the game, it says a lot about them. They’re fantastic group and they got their just rewards and we now I think it’s the second of May to look forward to.

“It’s something similar to to last year’s cup final with Shea Kearney, when you think you’re almost there, you know, but that that just goes to show players and supporters, I suppose, that you know, the game’s never over until the final whistle goes and you have to keep at it. And Danny was a bit unfortunate, he goes to clear the header. but thankfully as I said we we regrouped and you know we always know that big Decky would always possibly save one or two penalties, so it proved to be that Cliftonville missed a couple and our boys put every one of them away really well.”

Man of the match was awarded to Swifts captain, Gaël Bigirimana, and Dixie had the following to say about it:

You don’t win those types of games with just one or two players playing well. I thought we were a little bit shaky in the first half, maybe a little bit nervy, but I thought there was a good collective effort, but you need your leader on the pitch to to sit in that pivotal role and and you know dictate the play and Bigi certainly does that. He’s an absolute quality player, but not signing anybody out either, but for Shea Gordon to go in there and play as a right back, you know, I thought Shea had a fantastic game himself.”

In the final, the Swifts will face off against Coleraine, following their 2-1 victory over Larne in the second semi-final. It will take place at Windsor Park on Saturday 2nd May 2026.

Up the Swifts!

Cliftonville: Morrison (GK), Addis (A. Kelly 91’), Wilson, Hale (C), Leppard, Conlan (Pepper 106’), Glynn (Hawthorne 57’), Toole, McStravick (Sheridan 80’), J. Kelly (Gormley 90’), Healy (Curran 90’).
Unused Substitutes: Ridd (GK).

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne (GK), Kelly (McAllister 71’), Dillon, Alves (Marron 105’), Glenny, Gordon (Knowles 105’), McGinty, Doyle, Wallace, Moore (Mitchell 81’), Bigirimana (C).
Unused Substitutes: Henderson (GK), Maguire, Smith