Highlights: Dungannon Swifts v Bangor

Mark Jones
BBC Sport NI contributor

Dungannon Swifts eased to back-to-back league wins after Sean McAllister's first-half strike and a late Andy Mitchell penalty condemned Bangor to a 2-0 defeat at Stangmore Park.

McAllister rifled home an unstoppable effort into the top corner to put the home side in the lead after just 11 minutes.

Substitute Mitchell settled the points from 12 yards in the second half, sending Gareth Deane the wrong way after Harry Lynch had brought down Paul Doyle inside the area.

The result sees Rodney McAree's side climb into the top six, while the Seasiders will be hoping to open their account for the season when they host Carrick Rangers at Clandeboye Park.

McAllister stunner sets Swifts on their way

Andy Mitchell celebrates scoring a penalty Inpho

Mitchell scored Swifts' second from the penalty spot

Dungannon started brightly and almost took the lead when they won possession high up the pitch to release Junior Uzokwe, but the front man's effort from distance flew just inches wide of the upright.

The hosts continued to pose a real threat in the opening exchanges and almost found the opener when McAllister was allowed to turn 25 yards out, but his follow-up strike failed to trouble Deane in the Bangor goal.

The visitors failed to heed those early warnings, and the deadlock was broken minutes later. Gael Bigirimana was allowed to surge through the middle unchallenged before laying the ball off to McAllister, who took a touch to set himself before rifling an unstoppable strike into the top corner for his second goal of the season.

Lee Feeney's charges grew into the contest after being second best in the opening half-hour and could have drawn level when Reece Neale's cross fell to Jay Boyd inside the six-yard box, but with only Declan Dunne to beat, the former Crusaders forward was dispossessed by Danny Wallace.

In first-half injury time, Lewis Harrison squandered another Bangor opening after rising highest to meet Steven McCullough's delivery, but he could not find the target at the back post.

There was little to separate the sides after the restart, with the closest the away side came to an equaliser arriving just after the hour mark when Tiernan Mulvenna pounced on a loose ball 20 yards from goal and unleashed a dipping strike towards the top corner that fell to the wrong side of the front post.

That let-off proved costly, as the points were sealed in the 81st minute when substitute Mitchell dispatched confidently from the penalty spot after Lynch fouled Doyle inside the box.

Reaction from Stangmore Park

Dungannon Swifts boss Rodney McAree: "Of course that's the most important thing, getting the three points, and keeping back-to-back clean sheets is very good for us too.

"In the second half I thought it was a little bit scrappy to be honest, but to be fair to the boys, they dug in, they restricted Bangor to very little, and delighted when we were seeing the second one, the penalty kick; it gives us a little bit of a cushion.

"We created other opportunities to put it in, and we have to learn to kill the game off a little bit better than what we do, but we have to try and make our decision-making in the final third a little bit better."

Bangor manager Lee Feeney: "I thought we were very, very good, to be honest. I'm very proud of the boys, and if I'm being honest, I think we outplayed probably the best football team in the league.

"I thought we had the ball for most of that game; we were in their half, but the reality is we never created enough chances, and when we did get crosses in, we weren't at the end of them.

"I know it's hard to believe we got beaten, but there's really a lot of positives to take from it; it's just fine margins, and if we just keep improving, the goals and the wins will come."

Dungannon Swifts goalscorer Sean McAllister: "Yeah, delighted with the win and to get on the scoresheet.

"I thought the first half an hour we played some good stuff, and then towards the end of the half we were under a bit of pressure, and that kind of carried into the second half, but once we got the second goal we took control again.

"It's nice to score, but it's just about taking it game by game and doing as well as we can, picking up three points."