Irish cup: “There were some tears in shelter” – Boss Swifts Mccaree
The manager of Dungannon Swifts Rodney Mcaree says there were “some tears in the shelter” in the minutes of closing his team 2-0 wins semifinal of the Irish Cup On Bangor as the awareness that the Team of Tyrone of the County was about to book a place in the decision maker against Cliftonville sinked.
The goal of Kyle Owens’ first half and Dean Curry’s header in the second period ensured Dungannon’s passage to the player on May 3 to Windsor Park.
It will be the second appearance of the Stangmore Park Club in a final of the Irish Cup – Mcaree was part of the team that went to Linfield in case of penalties in the 2007 final.
“It’s something I have dreamed of my life. Obviously I am a Swifts Dungannon boy, it’s my club,” Mcaree said to the sports program of the BBC Radio Ulster.
“I have always had the ambition I wanted to play in an Irish cup final with Dungannon Swifts and as soon as I started doing my coach badges, I knew I wanted to be a manager or a coach in an Irish Cup final and to be the head of Dungannon Swifts coach and go to a final of the Irlanda Cup on May 3 is something special, something we don’t see.”
A whirlpool made for difficult conditions in Seaview Saturday.
“The conditions today were extremely difficult. I thought we had checked the game in the first half, in the second we knew that Bangor’s long ball would always put us under pressure with the conditions as they were.
“It was only a reward for Dean to mark the second goal, the goal that sealed our place in the final is really fantastic.”
Swifts now look forward to block the horns with the Reds, who aim to keep the trophy that won for the first time in 45 years of last season.
“Anyone involved in the Irish League wants to be in a final of the Irish Cup. We have a great game to look to the future,” added Mcaree.
“Cliftonville, we know with what kind of support they come. There will be a good crowd at Windsor Park.
“It is a game in which only two clubs in the country will be involved and we are one. It is truly surprising. We will go and try to give a good report of ourselves and we will try to win it.”
