Abu Khan be top drawer for Ports

Ports boss Niall Currie was full of praise for the goalscorer, but knows he has more to offer, “I think the bigman has that finish in him, it's an absolutely top-drawer finish, very calm, very assured. We know however he has more to offer, it was a fantastic goal, but he needs to be more physical, he’s a talented boy but you’ve got to keep poking to make sure he keeps on his toes.

Glenavon were first to show and McCarey was forced into action in the second minute to parry a Matthew Snoddy shot behind for a corner. Portadown responded in the perfect manner with Obhakhan’s goal, and they could have doubled their lead three minutes later when a mishit attempt to clear by Malone sent Mayse clear down the right wing. Mayse took the ball to the by line and as he cut inside his cross finished tamely in Deane’s arms.The visitors continued to push for the equaliser and should have done better from freekicks taken by Ward and Doona in the opening twenty minutes. Just before the half hour another set piece from Ward went well wide of the target. Shortly before the break a pinpoint long ball from MacKinnon found Mayse on the touchline and his cross was deflected for a corner. With the Ports putting pressure on the visitor’s defence MacKinnon’s corner was turned behind by Deane.Tempers flared in added time following a foul on Obhakhan near the corner flag. Referee Ian McNabb blew his whistle to signal the break with Portadown holding onto a slender lead.

The second period followed much the same pattern as the first, and ten minutes after the restart McCarey pulled off a top drawer save to deny Birney. The ball dropped to Ward, but his cross was easily dealt with by the keeper.Both sides turned to the subs bench to try and influence the game and on sixty-five minutes Portadown sub Ben Wylie should have wrapped up the points but his ‘rabona’ effort was fluffed when he looked to have a simple tap-in. Seven minutes from time Glenavon looked to have rescued a point when a Malone inswinger across the face of goal was tapped in at the back post by Caroll but the assistant referee flagged for offside. Portadown held on to record a fifth game unbeaten and moved up to fourth in the table. Boss Niall Currie wasn’t happy with sluggish start to the game but was pleased with how his team responded, “If I am being honest, I thought we started lethargically, and I wasn’t really happy with the start we had in the game. I thought Glenavon had a wee bit more urgency and had a bit more about them. We went into the trenches today when we needed to…. We’ve got to be that team that stays in a game right to the very end.” The only down side for Portadown was the yellow card picked up by Gary Thompson which sees him sit out this weekend’s visit to Windsor Park, but Shay McCartan is available again after missing the game with Glenavon through suspension.

Portadown: McCarey, Altintop, MacKinnon, Chapman, McCawl(Henderson), Mayse(McElroy), McCullough, Fyfe, Ukek(Wylie), Obhakhan, Thompson. Unused subs: Ray, D Wilson, Traynor, Mullan

Glenavon: Deane, O’Sullivan, Birney(Carroll),Marshall(McGovern), Snoddy, Malone, McDaid(Toure), Campbell, Doona(O’Connor), McKeown, Ward(Atherton). Unused subs: Byrne, Doran