Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree hailed the impact of his bench after ending their eight-game winless Premiership run with a dramatic 3-2 triumph over Limavady United.

The Swifts have recorded consecutive top-half league finishes – alongside reaching back-to-back Irish Cup finals – across the past two seasons and started the current campaign by winning four of their opening five games.

However, prior to Saturday’s triumph, McAree’s men had failed to pick up a league victory since September 5 – a result which also came against Limavady.

Substitute Andrew Mitchell got the Swifts back on level terms after John Butcher’s opener for the visitors before Kealan Dillon, introduced off the bench with 30 minutes left to play, struck from distance.

placeholder image — Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

Dillon also provided the assist for Sean McAllister’s late winner with the Swifts talisman rising highest to head home in injury time.

"It’s everything you want out of your bench, you want people to come on and be hurting that they weren’t starting,” McAree told the club’s media channel. “You want them to show a response.

"I thought Mitch did very well when he came on, he gets his goal with a good finish, and Kealan Dillon picks it up in an area where you know if he gets a strike away he’s going to test the keeper, it’s a great strike.

"Kealan’s delivery (for McAllister’s goal) is everything you expect from him and Sean has come off the goalkeeper and helped it on.

"We brought Bigi (Gael Bigirimana) on at that stage too and I thought he got his foot on it and got us playing in the opposition half, I’m delighted.

"We’ve been waiting a long time for a win, it hurts when you don’t win. We’ve been waiting for an opportunity to win a game right at the death.

"I’ve been involved in games here as a player, coach and manager where you get a late winner and it gives you a great buzz.

"You want to win it a bit more comfortably, but it’s nice when it happens.”

All five goals came in the second half at Stangmore Park and McAree was thrilled his side ended their long wait for victory.

"It’s going to put me in an early grave!” added McAree. “I thought we started the game as second best, we started slow, sluggish, Limavady hit the crossbar, but we showed a good response after that.

"I thought for the remainder of the first half we were exceptional, we found our flow and did things quicker...we created lots of opportunities but didn’t make Marty Gallagher make too many saves.

"We could have come in at half-time with the game dead and buried with a bit more composure and better finishing...there’s a level of frustration in the changing room at half-time.

"We fall behind in the second half, we switch off to a quick throw and we don’t get close enough, and we didn’t play as well in the second half as we did in the first, but we end up scoring three goals.

"We showed good character, good togetherness, especially when Cahal (McGinty) misdirects a header into our net, and to get the win. It’s a great delivery from Kealan and header from Sean.”