McGOVERN GIVES SWIFTS THE EDGE
Dungannon Swifts clocked up their fourth win in five outings with a narrow defeat of Crusaders at Stangmore Park.
The Swifts started brightly, and threatened through efforts from Steven Scott and John McGovern inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour while, for the Crues, Kieran Offord fired narrowly wide from a Jordan Stewart ball.
That pattern continued as the first half progressed. Leo Alves sent a curling strike just wide from the edge of the area before Swifts keeper Declan Dunne had to be alert to palm away a Harry Jewitt-White effort.
But the deadlock was broken five minutes from the break with what proved to be the only goal of the game when Gael Bigirimana played McGovern through to keep his cool and slot beyond Jonny Tuffey.
The visitors might have levelled in first half stoppage time but Offord was unlucky when his goalbound effort was deflected onto the left post before being cleared.
The Crues pushed hard for the equaliser after the break with Stewart and Offord both threatening on a few occasions while, a little later in the game, Jarlath O'Rourke was also denied by Dunne.
Then, late on, Jewitt-White nodded another Stewart ball just wide, ahead of a Forsythe header from a Stewart Nixon delivery.
Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, S. Scott, Knowles, McGovern, Dillon, Alves, Glenny, McGinty, Maguire, Wallace, Bigirimana subs Solis Grogan, J. Scott, Owens, Boyd, Taggert, McAleese, Hegarty
Crusaders: Tuffey, Weir, Jewitt-White, Stewart, Blaney, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Offord, Larmour, Clarke, Franklin subs Kerr, Callacher, Teelan, Owens, Vance, Nixon, Barr
Substitution 
Substitution 
