Kealan Dillon sees no reason why Dungannon Swifts can’t maintain their superb Premiership form and establish themselves as a top-half team this season in what has been an unpredictable campaign.

Heading into Saturday’s trip to Carrick Rangers, Rodney McAree’s side sit fourth, just one point behind second-placed Cliftonville, and corrected a three-game losing run by beating Glenavon twice in a matter of days, following up Saturday’s 2-0 league win by progressing into the Mid-Ulster Cup final, where they’ll meet Loughgall.

Only Linfield (33) and Coleraine (28) have scored more goals this term than the free-flowing Swifts, who have also kept the Premiership’s most clean sheets (eight).

They’ve made a habit of starting quickly – McAree’s men have been winning at half-time in 11 of their 17 matches, which is another league-high, while no side has collected more home points (19).

placeholder image — Kealan Dillon has been in fine form for Dungannon Swifts this season and scored in last weekend's win over Glenavon. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

That sort of form has instilled confidence at the County Tyrone club and Dillon, who has been a driving force behind the success, hopes they can continue in a similar vein.

"We set out at the start of the season to be a top-six club,” he said. “We're probably not seen as that but our targets will be to push.

"Last season we were trying to get into sixth or seventh and into that European play-off mix. We're not getting carried away but with the squad we have and way we play, I don't see any reason why we can't be a top-six club.

"It was good to get back on track against Glenavon. We'd had three poor results before that having started the season well.

"We didn't get carried away with the good start because points will only matter at the end of the season. If we'd broken those games up like won one, lost one, won one, lost one then things don't seem as bad, but it was good to get back on track.

"We'd conceded more in the previous three games than we had the rest of the season but there was no panic from us. We know what Rod wants from us and we'll continue working hard for it. We know we're a good team and what we can do."

With only six points separating Cliftonville and ninth-placed Larne, it provides an opportunity for a host of clubs to shoot up the table if able to find consistency.

Last weekend’s results further displayed the Premiership’s unpredictability with Portadown beating Glentoran while Ballymena United defeated an in-form Reds at Solitude, and Dillon feels it’s the most competitive league in years.

"You come off at the end on Saturday and hear results like Portadown beating Glentoran away and Ballymena have beaten Cliftonville - it just seems to be that type of season,” he added. “All we can do is look after ourselves and the point tally only matters on the final day of the season.

"You see the likes of the Glentoran squad breaking up from last year and with a big shift of players the squads are probably more even now than in recent years.

"It was two or three picking off the best in the league before but you can see the players we have here that could easily play at the top teams and it's like that around the league. There seems to be a better spread and more competitive than other years."