Highlights: Linfield leave it late to beat Dungannon Swifts

Paul Kelly
BBC Sport NI contributor

Linfield left it late at Stangmore Park but made it five league Irish Premiership wins on the bounce thanks to a Kyle McClean stunner.

McClean's strike from the edge of the box in the 82nd minute was enough to secure a 1-0 and all three points for the visitors.

Chris Johns made multiple saves in the first half to keep his side in the game, with Dungannon Swifts perhaps feeling hard done by on the night.

David Healy's side now trail Coleraine by just a point at the top of the Irish Premiership summit.

Dungannon rue missed chances as Blues make it five consecutive wins

The hosts came close to breaking the deadlock after a quarter of an hour through Junior, who rounded Johns and got a shot away from a tight angle with Isaac Baird coming to Linfield's rescue after he cleared the effort off the line.

Minutes later Junior came close again, this time, from close range but Johns was equal to it as he saved reactively down to his right-hand side.

Johns came to Linfield's rescue again later in the first half when he denied Paul Doyle from distance after a tidy attacking phase from the home side.

Baird came closest to breaking the deadlock up the other end for the Blues but headed just over the crossbar with a diving effort following Adam Frizzell's inviting corner.

The visitors came closest to seizing the advantage 15 minutes after the restart as McClean met Dane McCullough's low, fizzed cross but dragged his shot just wide of the left-hand upright.

It was then Declan Dunne's turn to pull off a big save when he denied substitute Kieran Offord from point-blank range when it looked more difficult to miss.

The Blues then hit the front in the 82nd minute as McClean tried his luck from the edge of the box following good work from substitute Dylan Wells down the left and found the top corner to seal the three points for the south Belfast side.

What the managers said

Dungannon Swifts boss Rodney McAree: "I'm disappointed but to be honest with you overall I think we get what we deserved.

"I've preached this for a long time here, if you don't take your opportunities against full-time teams it will come back to bite you.

"First half if we had have gone in 1-0 or 2-0 up, it wouldn't have been unjust but we didn't do that. We don't show the same composure, we don't show the same calmness and we don't show the same quality in the second half."

Linfield manager David Healy: "I'm pleased with the win. I always say this when we come down here that it's a really difficult place to come and play.

"Our record here is phenomenal for Dungannon being such a good team. I actually think they're better than what they were last year.

"They made it very difficult for us in the first half. We created one or two of our own problems in the first half, Chris [Johns] made a great save and Isaac [Baird] cleared one off the line. That then gave us the opportunity to go on and win the game in the second half."