Irish Cup: Dungannon Swifts beat Cliftonville on penalties to win first Irish Cup
The Swifts continued to threaten from set-pieces after the restart, with Dean Curry heading wide from another Knowles’ delivery.
Substitute Alex Parsons then glanced wide from Conlan’s cross before controversy ensued as Scott was dismissed.
After a first-half booking, Scott received a second yellow card for a foul on Rory Hale, when it looked as though contact, if any, was minimal on the Reds skipper.
With their man advantage, Cliftonville threw caution to the wind in their search for an equaliser.
Conlan went closest, with his header bouncing off the crossbar after Hale’s corner fell to him in the box before Axel Piesold forced Declan Dunne into a fine reflex save in injury time.
From the resulting corner, the ball eventually fell to Kearney outside the box, and the former Swifts youth player fired a stunning strike into the bottom corner to force extra time.
Dunne then denied Odhran Casey and Hale before Gael Bigirimana cleared Eric McWoods’ goal-bound effort off the line as the Reds pressed in vain for a winner in extra time.
In the shootout, Kearney, who stepped up first for the Reds, missed while Conlan had his fourth penalty saved by Dunne.
Bigirimana, Leo Alves, Adam Glenny and Brandon Bermingham all scored to help the Swifts to a dramatic win.
