SETANTA CUP/Cliftonville 0 Dungannon 0:NO GOALS, a serious shortage of entertainment, little ambition and not a lot of endeavour. This match had stalemate written all over it from early on.
Cliftonville started the stronger in their first ever home game in the Setanta Cup, but after 20 minutes on top had only one half-chance, a flick by Chris Scannell that drifted just wide of an unprotected net.
He had a more conventional effort on 25 minutes, superbly controlling before hitting a left-footed volley just over the bar.
Swifts, with just Mark McAllister up front, struggled and, when Michael Hegarty got the better of the Cliftonville defence, goalkeeper John Connolly intercepted a pass to the unmarked lone striker.
In first-half injury-time Ryan Catney caused problems, but disappointingly fired a weak shot straight at Swifts goalkeeper Dwayne Nelson.
After the break Cliftonville won a series of corners but the Irish League leaders failed to pose any threat from the five set-pieces.
Francis Murphy had a decent shot deflected behind on 72 minutes before a link-up between the Cliftonville front pairing produced the best chance of the game six minutes later.
Holland supplied the pass and Scannell the finish, but he dragged his shot across the goal-face and harmlessly behind.
Swifts came close to nicking the win in the final minute when Michael Hegarty first sliced a shot inches over the bar before having a low drive cleared off the line.
CLIFTONVILLE:Connolly, Boyd (Lyons, 88), O'Hara, Johnston, Fleming, Catney, B Holland, Smyth (O'Neill, 68), Murphy, C Scannell, M Holland (Campbell, 74).
DUNGANNON SWIFTS:Nelson, Curran, Montgomery, McMinn, Murphy, Okunaiya (McGerrigann, 88), Hegarty, Fitzpatrick, McCarron (McConkey, 66), Tomelty (Friel, 75), McAllister.
Referee:D Hancock (Dublin).
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