IRISH CUP FINAL BLOG: Dungannon Swifts v Cliftonville

Welcome to the Belfast News Letter's Irish Cup final special live blog - look back over the full day as 10-man Dungannon Swifts made history

The dust has settled on an incredible Irish Cup final at Seaview on Saturday afternoon, as 10-man Dungannon Swifts made history with a first-ever Irish Cup win.

After a 2-2 draw in the 90 minutes, and a frantic extra-time period, the game went all the way to a penalty shoot-out, which the modest Co Tyrone side won 4-3 to spark wild scenes of celebration.

It was a fitting end to a remarkable tournament, which had thrown up plenty of drama and entertainment in the build-up.

The game started brightly enough, with both sides creating chances in the opening stages.

Cliftonville nearly took the lead in the 11th minute when Rory Hale's free-kick hit the crossbar.

Then, moments later, the lively lads hit the post again through a close-range effort from the unmarked Leon Addison.

Dungannon responded well and began to get a foothold in the game, with midfielder Ben Montgomery forcing a good save from the busy Ben Odumosu in the Cliftonville goal.

The Swifts opened the scoring in the 30th minute when a quickly-taken free-kick from the edge of the box released Seamus Deane, who calmly slotted the ball past Odumosu.

The goal came as no surprise, with the Swifts having started the game the brighter of the two sides.

Dungannon nearly doubled their lead seven minutes later when a cross from the left wing was met by the head of substitute striker Ben Glenny, but his effort went narrowly wide of the far post.

The home side equalized in the 40th minute when a cross from the right wing was headed into the net by the unmarked Addis from close range.

The goal came against the run of play and it was a setback for the Swifts, who had been the better team throughout the first half.

However, Dungannon responded immediately and scored a second goal just three minutes later.

Glenny played a superb ball over the top of the home defence, setting up substitute striker Bermingham, who calmly slotted the ball past Odumosu to make it 2-1.

The goal was richly deserved by the Swifts, who had been the more threatening side throughout the first half.

After the break, both sides had their moments, with the game threatening to burst into life at any moment.

However, the game remained deadlocked at 2-2 at the end of normal time, and the contest went into extra-time.

The game remained evenly poised throughout extra-time, with both sides having their chances to score the winning goal.

But neither side could find the net, and the game went all the way to a penalty shoot-out to decide the winner.

The first four penalties were scored by both sides, before the decisive moment arrived in the fifth round.

After a miss by Conlan in the fifth round, Curry saved the ensuing penalty from Addis to seal a 4-3 win for the modest co Tyrone side.

It was a dream start to the new year for the modest co Tyrone side, who will go down in local footballing history as the first Dungannon Swifts team to win the Irish Cup.

The celebrations on the pitch at the final whistle were a sight to behold as the small band of travelling Swifts fans went wild.

It was a day of heartbreak for the Reds, who had battled valiantly throughout the contest.

But ultimately, they came up short in the penalty shoot-out.

The missed penalty by Addis will surely haunt the Reds fans for a long time to come.

However, there were plenty of positives for the Reds to take from the game.

They battled bravely throughout the contest and created plenty of chances to score.

The missed penalty by Addis was a cruel blow for the Reds, but it was a moment of poor judgment rather than poor technique.

The penalty was poorly struck and easily saved by Curry, who had a good game for the Swifts.

Overall, it was a fitting end to a memorable Irish Cup campaign.

Both teams played their part in making it a tournament to remember.

And in the end, it was the Swifts who claimed the ultimate prize.

Their win will be celebrated by fans in Dungannon and beyond for many years to come.

The loss was a tough one for the Reds to take, but they can hold their heads high after a valiant effort.

They will be back next year to try and claim the trophy once again.

But for now, the Irish Cup belongs to Dungannon Swifts.

REACTION - Cliftonville's Jim Magilton and Rory Hale on Irish FA penalty decision

CLIFTONVILLE manager Jim Magilton and midfielder Rory Hale have reacted to the Irish FA's decision to have the penalty shoot-out at the Dungannon Swifts end.

The teams battled to a 2-2 draw in extra-time