Disappointed would be an understatement for the away side this afternoon as they were defeated 3-0 by league champions Linfield in the season opener Windsor Park.
Manager Rodney McAree made two changes from the team that took on FC Vaduz in the Conference League qualifier in north Belfast just over a week ago, bringing in Thomas Maguire and Mal Smith for Leo Alves and Steven Scott.
Darragh McBrien and Tiernan Kelly were ruled out through injury, while Steven Scott was missing due to suspension.
“Stevie Scott is suspended from the Irish Cup, from something that wasn’t a red card, but because it was a second yellow, you can’t appeal it. Leo Alves unfortunately is away with his family at this moment in time, is back during the week, so we’ll have those two boys coming back. Darragh McBrien is getting closer,” said Rodney.
It was the Swifts who started the brighter of the two teams. There were early shouts for a penalty when Thomas Maguire challenged for a loose clearance from the Linfield captain, Chris Shields, and both men went to the ground.
The Swifts also created the first decent chance of the afternoon on five minutes, when a James Knowles corner found the head of Adam Glenny, only for the ball to glide past the far post.
Just six minutes later, new signing Sean McAllister had the ball at his feet and shot from just outside the area. However, the Linfield stopper Chris Johns stood strong.
Linfield’s best chance of the half then came when a Kieran Offord cross looped into the box, just missed the head of his strike partner, Matthew Fitzpatrick, and flashed just wide of Declan Dunne’s far post.
The away side became frustrated with some decisions as the game went on, with both McAllister and Rodney McAree being cautioned in the first half and Adam Glenny, Mal Smith, Thomas Maguire, Declan Dunne and Tomas Galvin all added to the referee’s book later in the game.
This was evident also in the travelling support in the upper tier of the north stand.
The home side thought they had the lead on 42 minutes, when after what seemed like another soft free kick, Kirk Millar whipped in a cross towards the six-yard line and Fitzpatrick headed past Dunne, only for the offside flag to go up.
Seconds later at the other end, a cross found an open Andrew Mitchell, who headed just wide.
This would be the last action of the first half as the sides went in scoreless.
The turning point came just three minutes into the second half when Danny Wallace attempted to clear a loose ball inside his box and unwittingly made contact with Linfield striker Fitzpatrick. The referee pointed to the spot and Kieran Offord slotted into the right hand side of the goal.
Rodney said: “The penalty kick obviously, and how we respond after it, we didn’t get ourselves going again quickly enough, which was disappointing. We invite Linfield on, we didn’t really get out of our own half. We have to get out of our own half at that stage and take the pressure off us and we didn’t do, but it’s a learning curve.”
The Swifts brought on fresh legs in search of an equaliser in Bobby-Jack McAleese, Brandon Birmingham, Tomas Galvin and Kealan Dillon, only for Linfield to double their lead.
Cahal McGinty looked to be fouled while attempting to clear a corner but nothing was given, and Offord seized on the loose ball and fired it into the net.
Just a minute later, the score was 3-0. After the Swifts had lost the ball, Offord found himself in the Swifts’ box once more and although his first shot was saved by Dunne, he managed to head the rebound over the stranded keeper to seal his hat-trick.
After this, the Swifts created their best chance of the half on 86 minutes when a Bobby-Jack McAleese cross found the head of Cahal McGinty, but Chris John was able to save.
Rodney said it was a tough defeat to take.
“I thought for 45 minutes we did extremely well, we were well in the game, we shaded the first half, we got a couple of strikes away from distance, and Mitch has an opportunity just before half time, and we find ourselves going in nil each thinking we had a really good opportunity.
“Then we go out in the second half and we give away a cheap penalty kick – it is a penalty kick in my opinion, it is a little bit of lazy defending maybe, and we have to deal with it a little bit better.
“We put ourselves on the back foot, and I wasn’t happy with how we responded, with how we did for 20, 25 minutes after that, and then 70th, 71st first minute, we find ourselves three nil down, and it’s disappointing.
“We finished the game quite well, but I think Linfield took their foot off the pedal at that stage, and allowed us to have it.”
He added: “There didn’t look to be an awful pile between the two teams, but ultimately in the second half Linfield looked like a team that know how to win league titles, and will be right there at the end of the season.
“We looked like a team in the second half that just didn’t have that winning mentality, or that desire, or that commitment that Linfield had in the second half to be honest.”
Linfield: Johns, Hall, Roscoe, Orr, Allen (McKay 82’), Shields (C), McClean (McGee 73’), Archer, Millar (Brown 45’), Offord (McKee 73’), Fitzpatrick (Annett 82’).
Unused Substitutes: Walsh, Morrison.
Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, Marron Knowles (Dillon 65’), Glenny, McGinty, T. Maguire (Scott 71’), Smith (McAleese 65’),
Wallace, Mitchell (Bermingham 65’), Bigirimana (C), McAllister (Galvin 65’).
Unused Substitutes: Henderson, P. Maguire.
Next up for the Swifts is their first home game of the league season in a Mid-Ulster derby against Portadown. Up the Swifts!