Dungannon Swifts 1-1 Linfield

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Media caption,

Troubled flared after the final whistle at Stangmore Park

Dungannon Swifts scored an injury-time goal to secure a point against Linfield in a match which was marred by ugly scenes after the final whistle.

Players and spectators were involved in the unsavoury scenes and Terry Fitzpatrick and David Armstrong were later sent-off in the dressing room.

Armstrong had put the Blues in front with a fantastic right-foot shot into the top corner after 12 minutes.

Billy Joe Burns was sent-off on 92 and substitute Josh Cahoon levelled on 94.

Armstrong's superby struck shot from 20 yards looked to have put the league champions on their way to victory, but David Jeffrey's side went on to miss a series of chances to extend their advantage.

Media caption,

Linfield manager David Jeffrey and Dungannon Swifts joint-head coach Darren Murphy both play down the post-match brawl at Stangmore Park.

Peter Thompson shot wide, while William Murphy and Brian McCaul both headed over.

Billy Joe Burns had a header palmed away by Niall Morgan and the home keeper also pushed Damian Curran's effort round for a corner.

Referee Arnold Hunter showed Burns a straight red card for retaliation after a crunching tackle by Adam McMinn in second-half injury-time and then Cahoon drilled a shot past Alan Blayney to level.

The trouble then erupted after the final whistle with players and spectators involved in the brawl which led members of both managements appearing to make efforts to quell the disturbances, which lasted for just under a minute.

After the match managers David Jeffrey and Darren Murphy both played down the post-match brawl involving many of the players on the field as "a storm in a teacup".

However, the Irish FA looks certain to hold an investigation into the post-match incidents.

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