Clearer Water Irish Cup final (AET)
Dungannon Swifts 1-1 Cliftonville
(Dungannon Swifts win 4-3 on penalties)
CLIFTONVILLE failed in their quest to retain the Irish Cup as Dungannon Swifts held their nerve in a penalty shoot-out, winning 4-3 at Windsor Park on Saturday afternoon.
Shea Kearney and Luke Conlon were denied by Swifts' goalkeeper Declan Dunne in the shootout as the Swifts lifted the Cup for the first time in their 76-year history after losing out on spot-kicks in their last final appearance in 2007.
John McGovern’s header midway through the first half was the difference until the later stages with the Swifts having to play out the remainder of the game with 10 men following Steven Scott picking up a second booking in the 69th minute.
It looked as though the Stangmore outfit were about to hang on, until Shea Kearney’s shot snuck in and forced extra-time for the holders.
Cliftonville forced the first opportunity when Shea Kearey lifted a ball over the top for Ryan Curran to run on to. Curran was unable to engineer a way through and Shea Gordon blasted over from the edge of the box.
The Swifts' first promising opportunity came from an outswinging Leo Alves corner that Andrew Mitchell flicked on and David Odumosu gathered at the back post with Adam Glenny lurking.
Caolan Dillon then whipped in a cross, but John McGovern couldn’t keep his footing and on 20 minutes, a training ground free-kick almost caught the Swifts cold when Shea Gordon played a low pass that Luke Conlon flicked into the path of Ryan Curran, but he shot wide.
The deadlock was broken midway through the first half and it was the Swifts who hit the front.
James Knowles' in-swinging corner from the left was met by McGovern to glance home and give his side the lead.
John McGovern heads Dungannon into the lead
Just before the half-hour mark, Ryan Curran ran onto a through pass and headed it away from Dunne, the angle was too tight and he instead played it out and Joe Gormley shot over.
A few minutes later, the Swifts may have doubled their lead after Leo Alves slid the ball across and Andrew Mitchell blazed a shot over.
Gael Bigirimana threw himself in the path of a Rory Hale attempt a few minutes before the break, whilst Odumosu was at full stretch to turn a Knowles free-kick behind for a corner as John McGovern’s headed goal was the difference at the interval.
Dungannon missed a golden opportunity to double their lead when Dean Curry glanced inches wide from a Knowles corner.
In the aftermath, Cliftonville sustained a prolonged threat. Luke Conlon lifted a ball over the top for Addis to run onto, but the central defender was outmuscled and the loose ball ran through to Declan Dunne in the Swifts' goal.
Shea Kearney then played a one-two with Gormley and snatched at the shot from the edge of the box.
A free-kick from Rory Hale was then half cleared and Conlon’s cross into the box was nodded wide by substitute Alex Parsons.
With little over 20 minutes remaining, the Swifts were reduced to 10 men. Booked for a challenge in the first half, Steven Scott clipped the heels of Rory Hale and referee Ian McNabb showed him a second yellow and subsequent red, much to Dungannon's protests.
The Reds almost made the most of their numerical advantage when Hale’s corner dropped in the box and Luke Conlon’s header crashed off the bar on its way over.
Cliftonville had six minutes of additional time to try and rescue an equaliser and it looked as though the chance had passed them by when Odhran Casey’s throw ran through to Eric McWoods and his chested ball sat up for Axel Piesold whose bullet of a shot was somehow diverted round the post for a corner by Dunne.
Hale’s resulting corner was only half cleared by Gael Bigirimana and Shea Kearney let fly with a shot that curled into the net and levelled.
The drama was far from over as Dungannon Swifts appealed for a penalty when substitute Tomas Galvin’s shot cannoned off the shoulder of Rory Hale and behind for a corner, but referee McNabb turned away the subsequent appeals and the resulting corner was cleared as Kearney’s injury-time equaliser forced extra-time.
Both sides cancelled each other out in a cautious opening period of extra-time, but it was Cliftonville who pushed for the winner in the second period.
Shea Kearney wheels away after netting the injury-time equaliser
Micheál Glynn clipped in a cross that Conor Pepper nodded wide; Rory Hale let fly with a goalbound snapshot that Dunne parried and Eric McWoods was unable to make a connection with the follow-up.
Two minutes before the end, Hale dropped a corner in and Pepper left the shot to McWoods and his shot was headed off the line and over by Gael Bigirimana as the Cup final was heading to the lottery of penalties.
Dungannon Swifts won the coin toss and elected to have the shootout in front of their own fans.
Shea Kearney was first up but he was unable to beat Dunne for a second time as the Swifts goalkeeper pushed away his low attempt.
Gael Bigirmana ensured his side would take their advantage and thereafter the sides continued to cancel each other out.
The Reds needed to net their last kick to restore parity and pile the pressure on Dungannon’s last taker, though Dunne ended the shoot-out, saving from Luke Conlon as the Tyrone outfit lifted the cup for the first time in their 76-year history. \
DUNGANNON SWIFTS: Dunne, Scott, Curry, Wallace, Glenny, Dillon (Hutchinson 80’, Bermingham 120+2’), Bigirimana, Knowles (McGinty 72’), Alves, Mitchell (Galvin 72’), McGovern (Boyd 91’).
Goal: McGovern 23
CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Casey (Pepper 106’), Addis, Keaney, Kearney, Wilson (Corrigan 79’), Gordon (Piesold 56’), Hale, Conlon, Curran (Parsons 56’, Glynn 87’), Gormley (McWoods 79’).
Goal: Kearney 90+1
REFEREE: Ian McNabb
