STORY OF THE MATCH: Dungannon Swifts 3 Glenavon 1

Dungannon Swifts picked up their first Sports Direct Premiership victory of the season as goals from Ben Gallagher, Thomas Maguire and Matthew Lusty secured a 3-1 triumph over Glenavon at Stangmore Park.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Swifts had won their last three Premiership home games against the Lurgan Blues heading into this encounter and manager Rodney McAree handed both Gael Bigirimana and Thomas Maguire club league debuts while Sean Ward was drafted into the Glenavon team in place of Calum Birney.

Here were the full teams:

DUNGANNON SWIFTS: Morgan, McGee, Curry, Marron, Hegarty, Dillon, Gallagher, Moore, Maguire, Lusty, Bigirimana.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Rodney McAree's Dungannon Swifts side picked up their first Premiership win of the season with victory over Glenavon on Saturday. PIC: David Maginnis/Pacemaker PressRodney McAree's Dungannon Swifts side picked up their first Premiership win of the season with victory over Glenavon on Saturday. PIC: David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press
Rodney McAree's Dungannon Swifts side picked up their first Premiership win of the season with victory over Glenavon on Saturday. PIC: David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press

Subs: Mitchell, Owens, Devine, Scott, Glenny, Whiteside, Harpur.

GLENAVON: Brown, Rogers, Snoddy, Campbell, Baird, McCloskey, Teggart, Wallace, McDonagh, Nesbitt, Ward.

Subs: Kerr, Malone, Quinn, Prendergast, Mulvenna, Garrett, Henderson.

Referee: Ian McNabb.

FIRST HALF

1: GOAL: Dungannon Swifts 1 - 0 Glenavon (Ben Gallagher, 11 seconds) – Straight from kick-off and the Swifts are ahead! Ball passed back to Gael Bigirmana from the start, played into Gallagher and he carves through the Glenavon team to slot past Brown after only 11 seconds. What a start!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

5: GOAL: Dungannon Swifts 1 - 1 Glenavon (Jackson Nesbitt) – Glenavon back on level terms within minutes as Nesbitt nips in to dispossess goalkeeper Niall Morgan and slots into an empty net from a tight angle. That's Nesbitt's first Premiership goal for Glenavon since arriving from Bourneview Mill this summer.

9: Good work from Stephen Teggart on the left-hand side as he cuts in nicely onto his right foot but can only send his shot straight at Morgan in a frantic start to proceedings in County Tyrone.

17: Isaac Baird played in down the left by Peter Campbell but his cross can’t find a yellow shirt and is deflected out for a corner. First substitute of the afternoon as Conor McCloskey is replaced by Niall Quinn.

31: Dangerous cross from Peter Campbell but just too high for a leaping Nesbitt. Match has certainly calmed down from that frantic start.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

34: Kealan Dillon makes a surging run through midfield and has far too much space to gallop in to. He opts to pass wide to Joe Moore when maybe a shot would have been the better option.

38: Great interchange between Glenavon’s two most dangerous players in Campbell and Jamie McDonagh. McDonagh squares it to Campbell on the edge of the box, who then slides it to Nesbitt and his shot sails over Morgan’s crossbar.

44: Massive penalty appeal just before half-time as Swifts forward Thomas Maguire appears to be brought down when cutting back in from the right, but referee Ian McNabb says no - much to the anger of the home support. Still 1-1.

HALF TIME: Dungannon Swifts 1 (Gallagher, 1) - 1 Glenavon (Nesbitt, 5). Jackson Nesbitt's first goal for Glenavon cancels out Ben Gallagher's strike after 11 seconds. Not much in terms of goalmouth action since but Swifts had a massive penalty appeal denied just before break.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

46: Chris Hegarty and Joe Moore replaced by Niall Owens and Adam Glenny at the break for Dungannon.

46: An almost immediate impact from half-time replacement Owens as he makes a quick break down the left. His cross is deflected for a corner, which is cleared after a heart in mouth moment for Glenavon goalkeeper Rory Brown, who appeared to fumble a simple ball.

56: GOAL: Dungannon Swifts 2 (Thomas Maguire) - 1 Glenavon – Goal on his Swifts Premiership debut for Thomas Maguire. Niall Owens does well to dispossess Stephen Teggart on the Dungannon left, skips past him and sends a pinpoint ball across goal to Maguire. Former Larne man makes no mistake. 2-1.

61: Another change for Dungannon with Ryan Harpur replacing debutant Gael Bigirimana.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

66: Ben Gallagher, who has been superb for Dungannon this afternoon, is replaced by Ethan Devine.

68: RED CARD: Jamie McDonagh (Glenavon) is shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Adam Glenny. Still 2-1 Dungannon. Glenavon send on Aaron Prendergast in place of Isaac Baird.

76: Gary Hamilton sends Cohen Henderson and Tiarnan Mulvenna on to replace Stephen Teggart and Jackson Nesbitt.

81: GOAL: Dungannon Swifts 3 (Lusty) - 1 Glenavon. Niall Owens has had a massive impact since being subbed on at half-time. Matthew Lusty converts from another Owens cross, slotting into the bottom right-hand corner. Looks like a first league win of the season for the Swifts.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

82: Steven Scott replaces goalscorer Thomas Maguire for the Swifts.

90: Dillon has a shot on goal but his effort is easily saved by Lurgan Blues stopper Brown. There will be five minutes of added time.

FULL TIME: Dungannon Swifts 3 (Gallagher, Maguire, Lusty) – 1 Glenavon (Nesbitt).

Related topics: