Rodney McAree slams 'absolutely disgraceful' first half Dungannon Swifts performance and admits some decisions can 'make you fall out of love with football a wee bit'
Dungannon Swifts fell to a 4-1 Premiership defeat against Portadown at Stangmore Park on Saturday afternoon.
They ended the match with nine men after captain Gael Bigirimana and Leo Alves were sent off in either half.
Eamon Fyfe, Josh Ukek and a Jordan Gibson brace secured the points for Niall Currie’s men while Sean McAllister gave the Swifts a lifeline from the penalty spot to make it 2-1 at half-time.
Here’s what manager Rodney McAree had to say after the match:
THOUGHTS ON THE MATCH?
"I thought first half we were absolutely disgraceful, I thought we were a shambles.
"Second half, I don't think I've ever been as proud of a group of players. We had 10 men from 38 minutes – I thought we were the better side in the second half.
"I thought we looked like we were going to get something out of it, and then Leo Alves picks up a second yellow card.
"No problem with him getting sent off for the second yellow — probably the first one I would argue. It was his first tackle. He's not a reckless player.
"It goes down as a reckless challenge...I don’t think it was a reckless challenge, and I don’t think it was a yellow card.
"But the red cards haven’t cost us the game today. Our first-half performance has cost us the game.
"We didn’t show the same guts, determination and desire in the first half as we did in the second.”
HARD TO RECOVER FROM PORTADOWN’S FAST START?
"Yeah, we probably gave ourselves a chance at half-time at 2-1.
"When we lose Bigi just before the half, it becomes a wee bit more of a challenge.
“Bigi’s an honest guy — he’s going for the ball. He doesn’t really see the man standing behind, but it’s a high foot, so I can understand the red card.”
THOUGHTS ON THE RED CARDS? COMPLAINTS ABOUT LEO’S FIRST YELLOW?
"First yellow, yeah. As I said, it goes down as a reckless challenge and I don’t think it is.
“It’s his first foul. It feels as if we’ve picked up a lot of yellow cards.
"I mean, I got booked for taking a step outside the area literally one time, I was a yard outside my box and I got cautioned for it.
“But it feels like we’ve had a lot of yellow cards and haven’t overly, genuinely made too many bad tackles.”
RED CARDS DIDN’T COST YOU THE GAME, BUT HARD TO PLAY WITH 10 AND THEN NINE?
"Up until Bigi’s (red card), we were very poor.
“We could have already conceded two goals. We were 2-1 down at that stage — we were 2-0 down at a stage — and we deserved to be because we were pathetic in the first half.”
FOUR RED CARDS IN THREE GAMES – A CONCERN?
"Actually, if you go back further, it’s maybe five, but Stevie Scott’s wasn’t a red card.
“Stevie Scott got sent off in the final of the Irish Cup — which is gone now — but it was never a foul.
“It just feels like we’ve been on the wrong end. You can’t say too much, to be honest. You can’t say what you want to say.
“I love the sport, I love the game, I love being part of football, but sometimes when decisions go against you — certain decisions — it makes you fall out of love with it a wee bit, to be honest.”