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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Matthew Gallagher

Jeanfield 0 Dundonald Bluebell 2: Swifts suffer first defeat of the Premier Division season

Jeanfield Swifts suffered their first defeat of the Premier Division season on Wednesday night.

The Perth side entered the midweek fixture in high spirits with a 100 per cent winning record behind them.

But second half goals from Daryl Healy and Adam Mansouri allowed Dundonald Bluebell to depart the Riverside with a 2-0 victory and three points.

Early doors, Connor McLaren, fresh from a trip to the Futsal Champions League with PYF Saltires, tried his luck but his strike from range was comfortably gathered.

Then, on 11 minutes, a whipped delivery broke in the box for midfielder Keiran Stewart who could only smash his effort high over the crossbar.

Swifts continued to press forward and a clever ball over the top sent McLaren into a promising position. He cut-back for Gary Fergus who flashed wide.

Fergus picked up another good position moments later, this time accepting a cut-back from Chris Scott on the other side, but the shot was blocked.

Dundonald, also off the back of a strong start to the season, did later threaten when Billy Rogerson found a couple yards on the edge of the box before sending his strike wide of the post.

Not long after the half hour mark the quick feet of Scott Smith carved out space for a cross to the back post where McLaren was lingering with intent. He got a boot to the ball but couldn’t direct on target.

As the break approached visiting defender Barry Sibanda rose well in the box and then Lewis McKenzie was unable to turn home. Nothing could separate the sides as the half-time whistle arrived.

The best chance early in the second half fell for the Fifers when Healy was denied by a smart Sam Townsley stop. Mansouri fired the rebound over.

Sibanda would later line-up a long-range free-kick and, with a dipping, powerful attempt, forced the ball to be shuffled behind for a corner.

In response, Scott used his quick turn of pace to navigate across the edge of the box before going for goal with a shot that was always going to drift over the bar.

The deadlock was eventually broken in the 70th minute when Townsley pulled off a terrific stop to deny Mansouri, but following up to squeeze in from a tight angle was Healy.

Mansouri got his own name on the scoresheet 10 minutes later with a curling strike which nestled in the far corner of the net and that wrapped up the points.

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