NIFL Premiership
Cliftonville 0
Dungannon Swifts 2
Solitude
HARRY WILSON's red card before the break was the turning point as 10-man Cliftonville suffered back-to-back loses, going down to quickfire second half goals in their 2-0 defeat to Dungannon Swifts at Solitude on Saturday afternoon.
Wilson was given his marching orders five minutes before the interval for a challenge on Gael Bigirmana and the Swifts made the most of their numerical advantage after the break.
Kealan Dillon tucked away a counter-attacking move on the hour mark and five minutes later Sean McAllister’s shot squeezed underneath the grasp of 16-year-old second half substitute Matthew Belshaw in goal.
The County Tyrone outfit then saw the game out to make it three wins on the spin, as Jim Magilton rued what he felt was a wrong decision to dismiss Wilson prior to their most dominant period in proceedings.
“I thought just before the sending off we had control of the game,” Magilton reflected.
“I think the referee has jumped in. He hasn’t made contact. There is zero contact other than Bigi has jumped and they have collided. Harry has taken one on his side, so I think reaction and then a moment where the referee has got to talk to him.
“He actually hasn’t made contact with Bigi because I am standing watching it. One sending off is always really, really difficult, especially against a team like Dungannon who pride themselves in keeping the ball”.
Magilton named an unchanged XI from last Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Linfield at Windsor Park, with Rhyss Campbell, Adebayo Fapetu and Lewis Ridd all absentees through injury.
It took until past the quarter hour mark for the game to spring to life, a one-two between Ben Quinn and Rory Hale resulted in the latter trying his luck from the edge of the box and his effort was blocked.
At the other end Dungannon almost hit the front from a curling Kealan Dillon shot that flashed past the far post.
Rory Hale battles for possession with Gael Bigirimana
Liam McStravick glanced wide from a pinpoint Aaron Wightman cross and Sean McAllister arrowed a low effort towards the bottom corner that PJ Morrison needed to turn behind at the expense of a corner, which came to nothing.
A snapshot from Harry Wilson was just too high to trouble Declan Dunne and on the half hour mark the Swifts goalkeeper was called into action.
Dean McMaster played a corner shot to Rory Hale and his floated cross was met by Brian Healy, though his header was straight at Dunne.
The Reds thought they had made the breakthrough after 33 minutes. Another short corner between McMaster and Hale saw McMaster’s attempted cross blocked, Liam McStravick flung the ball into the area and a Brian Healy shot deflected into the back of the net, only for an offside flag to curtail the celebrations.
A driving run from Oliver Samuels finished with the on-loan Middlesbrough wing-back trying his luck with a shot that flashed off target.
Jim Magilton’s side were dealt a huge blow before the break when they were reduced to 10-men.
Harry Wilson was slightly high in his attempt to win the ball against Gael Bigirmana and referee Shane Andrews had no hesitation in issuing a red card.
Dungannon Swifts almost made use of their numerical advantage before the break. A corner was played short to Sean McAllister and he clipped a ball to the back post where Danny Wallace’s downward header from two-yards crashed off the outside of the post and behind as the half finished scoreless.
The deadlock was broken on the hour mark at Solitude and it was the Swifts who hit the front.
Liam Stravick was dispossessed by Paul Doyle, he burst forward and slipped a pass into Kealan Dillon to fire low past 16-year-old substitute goalkeeper Matthew Belshaw who replaced PJ Morrison early in the second period.
The Swifts doubled their advantage a few minutes later through highly-rated striker Sean McAllister.
An initial shot was partially blocked by Alex Bannon, but McAllister reacted quickest to fire a low shot underneath Belshaw and into the net to make it 2-0.
Thereafter, the Swifts shut up shop for the afternoon to take all three-points at the conclusion and move above the Reds in the Boyles Premiership standings.
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison (Belshaw 49’), Wightman, McClelland, Bannon (Thompson 66’), Samuels, Wilson, Hale (Sheridan 66’), McMaster, Quinn (Hawthorne 66’), Healy (Gormley 70’), McStravick.
DUNGANNON SWIFTS: Dunne, Scott, McKeown, Kelly (Smith 61’), Dillon, Gordon (McGinty 72’), Doyle, Wallace, Bigirimana (Alves 46’), Junior (Mitchell 72’), McAllister (Johnston 84’).
REFEREE: Shane Andrews
