Dungannon Swifts moved level on points with Linfield after Saturday’s 2-0 Premiership win over Ballymena United at Stangmore Park.

Second half goals from Kealan Dillon and Junior strengthened their grip on a top-half position for a second consecutive season.

Here’s what manager Rodney McAree had to say after the match:

GOOD WIN AND PERFORMANCE?

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

"I thought after the first 45 minutes, if we had left without getting three points, we would have been extremely disappointed for the players because I thought in the first half they were very, very good without being clinical enough, without forcing enough better chances as such

"We got into good areas of the pitch numerous times and we played some good stuff to get there as well.

"To say that we should have been leading at half-time is probably honest, but we could have went 1-0 behind just after half-time.

"It was probably a wee bit of a kick up the backside that we needed to get ourselves going again.

"I thought we found a way to get ourselves going again. We just hoped that it wasn't going to be one of those days that we just kept going, kept going, but didn't get anything.

"So it was nice whenever Kealan's shot from the edge of the box finds itself in the bottom corner and then we get a little bit fortunate, the second one comes off the defender's back, but Junior puts it away and it's great to see.”

KEALAN SAID HE FELT HE OWED YOU A GOAL?

“It’s a great goal.

"Obviously he has a couple of great efforts from free kicks, which go just wide. He has a great effort in the first half as well that the keeper makes a good save from.

"Kealan has the capabilities of scoring goals. We need to just make sure that we're keeping encouraging him to get into the areas of the pitch where he can hurt the opposition and not get too far away from the opposition's goal.

"He has to play to his strengths. We believe that if he plays to his strengths, he's got the capability of scoring with both feet, got the capabilities of creating, so we want to get him into the areas where we can get him doing that.”

COREY SMITH LOOKED DANGEROUS?

"I thought Corey was excellent.

"I thought he was really, really good for somebody who's just coming into a team. He suits how we try to play and probably gives us the option with Leo (Alves) on the opposite side where Leo can maybe come inside and Corey can give us a wee bit of width on the opposite side.

"I thought he was positive. We encouraged him the first time he picked the ball up. We said to him before the game to go and get at the defender.

"The first time he did, he picked it up, he got to the byline. I think he won us a couple of corners in quick succession by being positive.

"He has his strengths. We know him inside out because he has come through the system. We know that he has weaknesses as well. All we want to do is try and put a smile on his face and try and improve him.

"He's only 20. He's been away, got a good education at Larne and Coleraine. He's worked with good coaches. He'll have got good information. He comes to us now at 20 years of age. I think it's exciting.”