Dungannon Swifts Manager McAree Lauds Players’ ‘Perseverance’ in ‘Ugly’ 1-0 Victory

Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree commended his players’ “perseverance” following their “ugly” 1-0 triumph against Ballymena United, a result that propelled the team to second position in the Irish Premiership. To date, McAree’s Dungannon squad has secured 10 victories in their 20 league fixtures. The winning goal came in the 85th minute from a penalty kick by substitute Andy Mitchell, awarded after Joseph Moore committed a rash challenge inside the box. This decisive moment clinched the win for the visiting team at the Showgrounds, who now trail league leaders Linfield by eight points. McAree commented on the performance, stating, “We did the simple things well and got our just rewards in playing it simply, passing it simply, getting an opportunity in the 18-yard box and thankfully we get the penalty kick which leads to the winning goal.” He further added, “It was a case of perseverance, keep a clean sheet and hopefully the goal will come for us. The boys deserve immense credit.” During the keenly contested encounter, Ballymena’s goalkeeper delivered a series of outstanding saves in the first half. Reflecting on the match, McAree remarked, “I thought we created the better opportunities over the course of the game. Ballymena went close on occasions and we rode our luck at times. The free-kick that hits the post is a great delivery from Ben Kennedy. I felt at that stage it could be one of those days when we get a real ugly 1-0 win. It always felt like it was going to be a 1-0 victory either way.” He concluded, “Thankfully today that proved to be the case.”