Dungannon Swifts boss Rodney McAree looking to build on dramatic draw against champions Larne in Linfield test

Trailing 4-1 with 13 minutes to go at Inver Park, it looked like the Swifts would leave empty-handed despite a positive performance until Ben Gallagher, Tomas Galvin and Andy Whiteside scored in a frantic finale to secure a point in McAree’s first match back in charge.

They welcome Linfield to Stangmore Park on Saturday as the Blues open their campaign looking to win a fifth title in six seasons before travelling to the Crues, who many are tipping to challenge for the league crown after impressive recruitment and performances in Europe.

McAree knows his side have already defied the odds once by grabbing a point against Larne and wants to spring another surprise this weekend.

"Whenever you score four and take a point at Inver Park, you know Linfield aren't going to take you lightly so we have to be aware of that,” he said. "We have to prepare properly.

"It's a great occasion; we have three games away to Larne, home to Linfield and away to Crusaders which nobody would have fancied us to take a point out of.

"Linfield have qualities which can hurt us so we have to guard against that. We have to identify ways of keeping them out and ways we can hurt them.

"It's one more point than anyone thought we would have gotten out of the first three games, so we can build on that.”

The Swifts conceded 170 Premiership goals over the course of the last two seasons and despite leaking four in their opener this time around, looked much more defensively solid, especially in the first-half.

Chris Hegarty’s return from Crusaders could prove crucial with the new Swifts skipper directing from the centre of a back-three while Ethan Devine will hope to produce at the other end throughout this season after joining on loan from Linfield.

"I think we've signed well and I think the one thing we did want to do was bring in characters,” added McAree. "Good characteristics in terms of leadership, wanting to do well, wanting to win, wanting to train and wanting to be better.

"We have identified people like that who've come in, they've embraced it and responded very well.

"It's been enjoyable but it's only a point at the end of the day, we don't go away with anything else other than that, so we have to be ready to go again.

"I thought we looked more solid (against Larne). I was happy with how we looked. I didn't expect to keep a clean sheet as I thought we were always going to concede coming to Larne.

"At 2-1 I was happy but at 4-1 I was very disappointed because I thought we crumbled a little in those three minutes and we just didn't respond well enough.

"I've seen huge positive moves forward, we're gaining a little bit of confidence and getting a bit more organised.”