By Patrick Van Dort
Friday鈥檚 Action Mental Health Charity Shield was brought forward in the Irish League calendar due to forthcoming European commitments for the Swifts and Linfield and it served up an entertaining penalty shoot-out finale under the pre-season friendly backdrop. A penalty save by substitute goalkeeper Alex Henderson to deny Linfield鈥檚 Rhys Annett proved key alongside Leon Boyd鈥檚 composed strike to leave the Swifts winners by 5-3 after a scoreless run over normal and extra-time 鈥 marking another shoot-out success at the National Football Stadium just over two months on from that May milestone first Irish Cup triumph in club history. Leo Alves, Adam Glenny and Sean McAllister converted for the Swifts, with Linfield鈥檚 Kieran Offord and Chris Shields successful. Henderson pulled off his stop against Annett before Dylan King and Linfield鈥檚 Chris McKee left it 4-3 in the Swifts鈥 favour. Leon Boyd stepped up to slot home the Swifts鈥 decisive spot-kick. “It’s always nice to win trophies,鈥 said McAree on the official Dungannon Swifts club social media platforms following victory. “It’s obviously a pre-season game, it’s a friendly at the end of the day…but there’s a reward at the end of it. “I thought for large parts of the game we done quite well. “We passed the ball well at times in the first half but we were sloppy as well in the first half. “I felt the first 15, 20 minutes of the second half we were very good, used the ball and we were patient with it. “Probably didn’t create as many opportunities as we wanted to create. “But I think the two games we’ve had so far in pre-season…Larne and coming to Windsor Park to face Linfield in the Charity Shield, has been a great start to pre-season. “We’ve got a lot out of the two games…fitness levels are going up but we showed glimpses that we can be a decent side.” McAree added: “The Irish Cup final now has gone…we will have little reminders along the way but we have to challenge ourselves to get better and improve. “As a squad and as a club to try and get better week by week. “As soon as we stop trying to improve then we stand still and we’ll end up going backwards. “So, let’s keep pushing the thing forward. “Let’s keep trying to be better than we were last week.” Minutes for recent arrivals Malachy Smith, Peter Maguire, Tiernan Kelly and Sean McAllister also offered McAree a bonus. “Mal Smith’s a very comfortable footballer, does really well and he’s a great lad,鈥 said the Swifts boss. “If we can get Mal giving himself a wee bit more of a push all the time then we get a better Mal too again. “Peter Maguire tonight was outstanding. “I thought Tiernan Kelly done really well in the middle of the park. “Sean McAllister…it’s been brilliant to get him on to the pitch to get half an hour, he’s had a wee bit of a groin strain that set him back about 10 days. “He showed glimpses of what he can do, he’s athletic and we’re lucky to have him. “Darragh (McBrien) is just not available but he will be in and around us very soon. “Alex (Henderson) has just signed a new two-year deal…he’s improved so much over these past two seasons. “The work Alan Cooke (goalkeeper coach) does with him is brilliant, as he does with the other goalkeepers too. “For Alex to come on and make the save and win the Shield for us is nice reward for all the efforts he puts in. “He travels from Limavady four times a week at this moment in time.” McAree highlighted 鈥渆xciting times鈥. “There’s good competition in the changing room, there’s good strength-in-depth,鈥 he said. “It’s up to them to push each other and challenge each other to get a starting jersey and that can only be good for the club.鈥