Matt puts lights out at Swifts
Press Eye, Belfast, Northern Ireland - 31st January 2012 Carling premier league match between Dungannon Swifts and Crusaders at Stangmore Park Dungannon. Dungannons ad Crusaders Photograph: Stephen Hamilton Presseye.com
The lights went out at Stangmore Park last night – but Matt Hazley’s stunning winner illuminated the game as Crusaders climbed to fifth in the table, WRITES JIM ELLIOTT.
A floodlight failure briefly plunged Stangmore Park into darkness five minutes from the end, with Dungannon Swifts trailing 2-1.
After a 15-minute break to restore order, the game was restarted and played to its conclusion.
Unfortunately for Dungannon, there was no light at the end of the tunnel and they slipped to another defeat which leaves them still struggling at the wrong end of the league.
The winning strike came via Hazley in the 54th minute, after Matthew Snoddy’s first-half opener had been cancelled out by Sean Friars.
Declan Caddell was sent off late on following an off-the-ball incident.
The visitors starting brightly. Caddell’s rasping strike forced Niall Morgan into action after four minutes, with Colin Coates heading the resulting corner straight at the goalkeeper.
They edged ahead in the 17th minute. Jordan Owens knocked the ball through to Snoddy and he skipped past a defender before slotting home with a low strike.
A superb effort from Friars came crashing back off the crossbar, with the follow-up falling too quickly for Darren Murphy to take advantage of.
However, Friars would not be denied a second time, and levelled in the 22nd minute.
Liam Donnelly played a terrific ball across the six-yard box, and the midfielder arrived at the back post to equalise with his fourth goal in as many games.
Crusaders went back in front nine minutes into the second half.
Hazley picked up the ball in the box and scored with a sublime effort, sweeping a rising strike past a helpless Morgan with his unfavoured right foot. Caddell’s late dismissal ensured a nervous few minutes, but the Crues held on.
DGN SWIFTS: Morgan, L Donnelly (Funston, 39), Montgomery, Gallagher, McClean, O’Neill, Harpur, McCaffrey (McKerr, 79), Murphy (Ward, 61), S Friars, Brolly Subs not used: Fitzpatrick, Topley
CRUSADERS: O’Neill, Magowan, Coates, McCann, Gargan (McBride, 71), Caddell, McMaster (Watson, 87), Owens (Rainey, 76), Snoddy, Hazley, Gibson. Subs not used: McKeown, Dallas
Referee: Arnold Hunter (Maguiresbridge).
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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