Kealan Dillon and Corey Smith fire Dungannon Swifts to Mid Ulster Cup final with victory over Glenavon

TWO outstanding second-half strikes from Kealan Dillon and Corey Smith sent Dungannon Swifts to the final of the Mid Ulster Cup with a 2-0 home win over Glenavon on Tuesday.

The Swifts will meet Loughgall or Annagh United in the final.

“It’s great to give the supporters, the club, the committee, and also us as players and staff a final to look forward to,” boss Rodney McAree said.

“That was the objective at the start of the night, and we wanted to do our best to get there.

“I thought we started the game well. I thought we had a few opportunities, albeit from shots from the edge of the box, but then we lost our way a little bit, our shape out of possession wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t right, and we probably didn’t improve until half-time.

“We identified little bits and pieces at half-time and we touched on things and our shape without the ball was much better in the second half against a very good Glenavon team and a very well coached Glenavon team.

“Overall, very, very happy. We get two great finishes, two great strikes. Kealan Dillon with his left foot, and Corey Smith does what he does in training all the time and it was great to see.”

There were seven changes at Stangmore from Rodney McAree’s starting XI in Saturday’s victory over Limavady United, with only Cahal McGinty, Tiernan Kelly, Corey Smith and Leo Alves remaining in the team.

The Swifts started as the brighter of the two sides with Corey Smith in particular causing danger to the Glenavon defence, but Mark Byrne wasn’t troubled in goal just yet.

For most of the half, both teams cancelled each other out. In spells, Glenavon had more of the ball but lacked a cutting edge to get past Alex Henderson. They came close mid-way through the half when a free kick ended in a scramble in the box, but after a series of blocked shots, the Swifts cleared the danger.

The Swifts also put pressure on the Glenavon defence with crosses into the box, and Smith had a shot from outside which the goalkeeper was able to parry wide.

At the very beginning of the second half, the Swifts came close to taking the lead. Dillon made a run through the middle and unleashed a shot which hit the top of the crossbar. Not long after, Glenavon had a chance which went narrowly over the bar.

After a number of chances in quick succession, the opening goal came. It followed a triple substitution with Junior, Adam Glenny and Paul Doyle brought on, and it was Junior who passed to Glenny and then to Dillon before his smart strike found the top left corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

The visitors responded with a triple change of their own as they looked to grab an equaliser. Both teams had chances to score, with the Swifts coming close through a Steven Scott shot from just inside the area which was saved, and the Lurgan Blues’ substitute Jude Johnston providing a threat down the wing, but one his shots went straight at Henderson.

Glenavon brought on further subs as they continued to push forward but the Swifts back line remained resolute and the victory was sealed just with just one minute of normal time left. Thomas Slater played a ball through to Shea Gordon, and he passed to Corey Smith who cut inside and curled a shot right into the top right corner to double the Swifts’ advantage.

The referee blew his final whistle not long after to confirm the Swifts’ passage to the final of the Mid Ulster Cup.

Up next for the Swifts is a trip to Inver Park to face Larne on Friday night with a 19:45 kick off.

Dungannon Swifts: Henderson (GK), McGinty (C), J. Scott, Kelly, Smith, Mitchell (Junior 61’), Dillon (Slater 68’), Alves (Doyle 61’), Lowe (S. Scott 46’), Gordon, Johnston (Glenny 61’).

Glenavon: Byrne (GK), Mountney (C) (McGerrigan 67’), Doyle, Devine, Patton (Waide 79’), Cartwright, Healy (McMullan 22’), Mallon (Johnson 67’), Maguire (Murphy 67’), Watson, Quinn.

Referee: Glenn Buchanan

Report from the Dungannon Swifts FC website