Charity Shield: Swifts take shoot-out victory once again

Dungannon Swifts lifted the first silverware of the new season with a penalty shoot-out victory over Linfield at Windsor Park.

It what was, in truth, a pretty tepid affair with neither side creating too many clear-cut chances, it always looked destined for penalties from the outset.

With both sides shorn of some of their star performers from last season – Joel Cooper having moved to Coleraine from Linfield and Dungannon losing John McGovern to Shamrock Rovers, the Swifts in particular had a different look about them.

They gave debuts to three of their Summer signings, with Peter Maguire, Tiernan Kelly and Malachy Smith all starting. Linfield’s only acquisition thus far, Sean Brown, began on the bench.

The Swifts saw plenty of the ball in the opening quarter of the game, but while they did have a couple of efforts on goal, both were from distance and neither overly troubled Chris Johns in the Linfield goal.

One of those aforementioned debutants, Mal Smith, found the target on 11 minutes, but it was comfortably held by Johns. Then, 20 minutes in, a man who ha the found the net from long range on more than one occasion, Kealan Dillon, tired his luck from 20 yards. However, the midfielder didn’t get the cleanest of contacts on the ball and again it was easily dealt with by Johns.

However, Linfield had the best chance of the match up until that stage, just before the half hour.

Dungannon failed to properly clear a corner from the right and when the ball was clipped back in by Kirk Millar, Ben Hall got in front of his man but could only direct his header from close range wide of the left-hand post.

Caolan Marron then made a fine last-ditch block to deny Charlie Allen, before Matthew Fitzpatrick’s driven cross from the right wasn’t anticipated by any of his team-mates and the chance was lost.

As the hosts raised their game, they spurned another gilt-edged opportunity to go in front on 33 when Fitzpatrick got on the end of Allen’s cross in from the right. The striker managed to hold off his man expertly to make space for the shot, but then lifted it over the bar from 12 yards.

As expected, both sides made a raft of changes both in the first 15 minute of the second half, with Dungannon giving another debut, this time to Sean McAllister, after the midfielder’s move from Everton.

It was Linfield and Fitzpatrick who had the first chance of the second period on the hour, but he steered Millar’s corner wide. Another host of substitutions from both sides arrived around the midway point of the tie, with only Dungannon’s Danny Wallace and Linfield’s Josh Archer playing the full 90 minutes.

And it was Archer who almost snatched the win for the Blues – playing in their new black away kit – three minutes from time. He got on the end of Sean Brown’s cross from the right but his effort went just wide. With the sides deadlocked, the tie went straight to penalties.

And again – just like the Irish Cup Final back in May and at the same end – Dungannon came out on top in the shoot-out and substitute keeper Alex Henderson saved Rhys Annett’s spot-kick. The Swifts scored all five of theirs from 12 yards, with Leon Boyd converting what proved to be the winner.

MATCH STATS

Linfield: Johns (Walsh 59), East (McCullough 59), Hall (Roscoe 71), Orr (Whiteside 71), McGee (Brown 71), Millar (McKay), Mulgrew (C) (Shields 59), Archer, Allen (Offord 59), Fitzpatrick (Annett 71), Morrison (McKee 59)

Subs not used: Roscoe, Whiteside, Brown, Annett, McKay

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne (Henderson 70), Marron (S Scott H-T), Maguire (King 70), Wallace, Smith (Alves H-T), Glenny, Bigirimana (C) (J Scott 70), Kelly (McAleese 60), Dillon (McAllister 60), Galvin (McGinty H-T), Maguire (Boyd 60)

Subs not used: Glass (GK)

Referee: Jamie Robinson