Sean’s strike wins three points in Lurgan
Press Eye - Belfast - 24th August 2012 Danske Bank Premiership match between Glenavon and Dungannon at Mourneview Park, Lurgan Glenavons xxx and Dungannons yyy in action at Friday nights game at Mourneview Park. �Russell Pritchard / Presseye
Glenavon 0
Dungannon Swifts 1
UNBEATEN Dungannon Swifts scored their first win of the season after weathering a second half storm on Friday night.
Glenavon, who didn’t seem to be at the races in the first half, came out all guns blazing in the second period but couldn’t breach the Swifts defence.
The win means that the Swifts have now racked up five points at this early stage of the season and remain unbeaten, after draws with Cliftonville and Ballinamallard United, while the home side are still looking for their first victory.
Andy Coleman was called into action early on to block a low effort by Stephen O’Neill after Sean McCashin’s back-pass to the goalkeeper was too short.
And it was the Swifts who went in front on 29 minutes. Former Glenavon player Michael McKerr – one of eight in the Dungannon squad – beat Kyle Neill for pace and whipped in a cross for O’Neill, who was standing on his own, to head home.
Neill came close to equalising just after the half hour mark when he headed over from a Gary Hamilton corner, but the left back was soon to be given his marching orders.
After being booked earlier for a foul on Matty Hazley he was given a second caution on 32 minutes after leaning in to McKerr as the midfielder ran down the wing.
Mark Haughey could have pulled the sides level a minute before the interval with a volley with a low volley but Johnny Curran was equal to it.
At the start of the second half Glenavon threw caution to the wind. Guy Bates tried his luck with a free kick that was from about 25 yards.
The effort had plenty of power but, unfortunately for the ex-Drogheda frontman, it had no direction.
Then the Lurgan Blues hit the post twice within five minutes.
Brendan Shannon – who was trying to pump the ball upfield – ended up playing the ball across the pitch to Eddie McCallion who moved forward before unleashing a curling drive which crashed off the crossbar.
Shortly afterwards a Hamilton free kick took a deflection off the wall, falling for Ciaran Doherty to strike on the half volley, only to be denied by the far post.
Glenavon tried in vein to force the issue but they couldn’t find that vital goal.
In fact despite all of their efforts they got very few shots away.
The best of the efforts came when Bates held up a long ball for Hamilton but the player/boss’ low, curling shot was meat and drink for Curran and the Swifts held out.
Glenavon: Coleman, Neill, McCashin, Haughey, McCallion, Hamilton, Doherty, McGrory, Burrows, Bates. Subs: Shannon (Burrows 35), Singleton, Brown, White (Haughey 90), Hynes (McGrory 82).
Dungannon Swifts: Curran, Brennan, McMinn, E Friars, Grieve, Hutchinson, McKerr, Fitzpatrick, Hazley, S O’Neill, S Friars. Subs: Topley, S Lavery, C Lavery (Hazley 75), R O’Neill (Brennan 57), Gawley (S Friars 69).
Referee: Andrew Davey, Belfast
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Dungannon
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
