Shiels warns against complacency when Annagh United visit

DEAN Shiels has warned that Dungannon will be on the end of an Irish Cup shock if they allow complacency to creep in against Annagh United this weekend.

The Mid-Ulster rivals clash at Stangmore Park for a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

While on paper it appears a kind draw for the Swifts, it is one fraught with danger against a plucky underdog.

Annagh sit fourth in the Championship and have plenty of top-flight experience in their squad, including ex-Dungannon players Ryan Harpur and Niall Henderson.

The Swifts are also beginning life without their captain Oisin Smyth, who completed a deadline day move to League One side Oxford United.

Shiels has warned that they cannot allow their standards to slip in Saturday’s last 16 tie – otherwise they will end up embarrassed.

“Annagh will be treated as if we are playing Linfield – we have had them watched every week since we drew them in the cup,” he said.

“They deserve a lot of respect and Ciaran McGurgan is doing a great job there.

“It is a local derby, they will be right up for it and if we are not on it then we get put out of the cup – we will get stung, it is as simple as that.”

If Dungannon win, they will make the quarter-finals for the third time in four seasons.

They have had a superb January, winning five of their last six games, taking them to the brink of Premiership safety and into the last 16 of the cup.

Shiels added: “It is a massive carrot to go through into the quarter-finals.

“We have to use that as motivation – to be playing in semi-finals and finals, not sitting watching them on TV.

“But first we have to get past Annagh and we will have to be just as good as we were against Carrick to beat them.”
Dungannon were busy on transfer deadline day, signing forward Cathair Friel on loan from Coleraine and midfielder Ruairi McDonald from Annagh. But the big news was confirmation that Smyth (21) was heading to Oxford.

Shiels did keep hold of his other young stars, fending off interest in star winger Darragh McBrien.

He said that any young player wanting to leave should be aiming high.

“We are trying to build something here and obviously teams in this country will want our players – but we want our players to have careers across the water,” Shiels added.

“We want our players to have a pathway – this is a club where young players will play, and we have shown that we are not scared of playing them at senior level.”

Shiels has been delighted with how his young side has responded to last season’s turmoil, and is confident the club has a bright future.

“We have got so many talented players and they are a pleasure to work with,” he added.

“They are young and there’s naivety and there’s going to be mistakes, but we need to keep believing in what we try to do and stick together and we don’t flinch from those beliefs.

“People question our style of play a lot and whether it will work, but we haven’t questioned it in the changing room.

“We’ve taken a lot of hits this season but we are now 17 points off bottom spot. When I came in last year we were seven points adrift at the bottom, so the progress is there.

“We still need to improve, we’re still not where I want us to be, but hopefully we can keep improving and we’ll get there.”