Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree was left “devastated” after Saturday’s 3-2 Irish Cup final defeat to Coleraine – but has challenged his side to continue recent success with another run next season.

The Swifts were aiming to become just the seventh club to defend their competition crown following last term’s historic triumph, but fell short as Matthew Shevlin’s brace and a Joel Cooper strike sealed Bannsiders glory.

Before last year, Dungannon had only reached one Irish Cup final – a 2007 penalty shoot-out defeat to Linfield – but have now been involved in consecutive deciders alongside registering back-to-back top-half Premiership finishes in a golden period under McAree.

The challenge for part-time teams will likely only continue to grow with full-time powers establishing firm favourite status, but McAree wants his side to continue punching above their weight.

Dungannon's Rodney McAree applauds his team's supporters. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

placeholder image — Dungannon's Rodney McAree applauds his team's supporters. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

"We want to come back to this,” he said. “We have had a taste of this now, and we might be little Dungannon Swifts, but we want to come back.

"Our next opportunity is next season, so we have to challenge ourselves to try and make it three in a row, and why not?

"On our day, we can compete with anybody...hopefully we can be back here next May.

"We're devastated. It's a cup final, and whatever cup final you play in, you want to win it, especially this one, it's the biggest day in local football, biggest one-off day for me anyway.

"I think it's an honour for us to be involved in it, I think it's a privilege, but I think we've earned the right to be in it.

"Over the course of the last two seasons we've been exceptional, and I thought we were exceptional today, especially the first half, I thought we were very, very good.

"We created opportunities, and whenever you play against the so-called bigger and better clubs, you've got to take those opportunities.

"(Ryan) Schofield makes a few good saves, but we have opportunities early on in the game, maybe we should be more clinical and go punish teams, whenever you get that opportunity.

"I'm so proud of them, so proud. We now have a test of character to try and respond, but we'll have to.”

Having missed out on European qualification via the Irish Cup, Dungannon will now enter the Premiership play-offs with an opening clash against Carrick Rangers awaiting on Wednesday night.

"We regroup,” added McAree. “The changing room's devastated.

"We're devastated, I'm devastated, the staff's devastated, Keith (Boyd) and the vice-chairman, they're devastated too.

"But we've got to respond. We'll get the boys back in on Monday night, we'll have a look at things, we'll have a look at Carrick, and we'll go again.

"We know that's going to be a difficult game, because Carrick finished the season very, very strongly. They've got good players also, but it's another opportunity for us.

"We knew that finishing in the top-six and being in the Irish Cup final, we were going to have at least two opportunities, so we've got to take the second one now.”