Dungannon Swifts' next opponents Carrick Rangers halted a five-game winless run with a commanding 4-0 victory over Crusaders on Saturday. The result at Taylors Avenue saw Carrick climb to sixth in the Premiership, one place and one point above the seventh-placed Swifts ahead of their meeting next weekend.
Adam Lecky opened the scoring in the fifth minute, with Jordan Forsythe and Danny Gibson adding goals in the second half. Former Glentoran winger Daire O'Connor, a summer signing from Ballymena United, came off the bench and scored the fourth with 20 minutes left to play. It was his first league goal for his new club, coming in the 70th minute of the match.
Manager Stephen Baxter was pleased with a professional display. "I thought we were very professional and it was a real grown-up performance from us today," Baxter told the club's media channel. He highlighted his team's second-half dominance, saying they controlled possession and territory. Baxter noted that the team's next challenge is a trip to face Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park on Saturday, 10 October, a fixture detailed on our fixtures page.
Baxter reserved specific praise for O'Connor, whose 11 goals in 35 Premiership appearances for Glentoran in the 2023/24 season showed his attacking threat. "He is 'starting to really deliver'," Baxter said, noting the player's quality, touch, and finishing. The manager also expressed satisfaction with his team's first clean sheet since a 4-0 win at Bangor in late August.
For Dungannon Swifts, the focus now turns to hosting this resurgent Carrick side. The Swifts, who lost 2-0 to Glentoran in their last outing, will need to be wary of O'Connor's form as they prepare for the match.
Crusaders manager Declan Caddell was left frustrated by his side's defensive errors, lamenting that four crosses led directly to four goals. The heavy defeat leaves Crusaders further adrift in the table. Dungannon Swifts, currently on 13 points from nine matches, will look to improve their recent form of one win in five when they face Carrick Rangers. Caddell acknowledged his team's need to regroup quickly, with their own upcoming schedule available to view in the fixtures list.
The report in full is at Belfast News Letter
Dungannon Swifts host Carrick Rangers at Stangmore Park on Saturday, 10 October, with kick-off at 15:00. The Swifts, seventh in the Premiership with 13 points from nine games, have won just one of their last five league matches. Their most recent result was a 2-0 away defeat to Glentoran on 3 October, with goals from J. Singleton and J. Malone. The club's last starting line-up, from the 1-1 draw with Ballymena United on 19 September, featured A. Henderson in goal and D. Wallace, who scored that day, in midfield.
