Blues find Kee to unlock Ports

Chris McKee was the difference between the sides with a second half double

A two-goal salvo from half-time substitute Chris McKee in the opening three minutes of the second period was enough to secure the win for Linfield at Windsor Park. In a first half in which The Blues failed to get a hold on a resolute Ports performance, David Healy was forced into tactical changes in the last fifteen to get his side back on track. The Ports created by far the best opportunities and were unlucky not to have been a couple of goals ahead at the break

Portadown went into the game without Thompson, Chapman and McCartan and it was thehome side that were the first to show when Aaron McCarey was on hand in the sixteenth minute to close down Cameron Ballantyne at his near post. Linfield’s David Walsh was by far the busier of the keepers, making a fine save from Ryan Mayse on twenty minutes and he was relieved to see the rebound headed narrowly over by Altintop. Apart from that early block, McCarey wasn’t forced to make a save with the closest Linfield came to threatening the Ports goal being a shot across goal by Cooper and a free kick fizzed wide of the target by the same player.In a second half punctuated by overzealous officiating that two goal blitz from McKee caught Portadown cold, but they quickly regrouped and took the game to their hosts. The visitors almost hit back immediately when Mayse lost his marker and got a shot off which Walsh saved well at his near post.Wylie and Mulgrew both saw yellow following a flashpoint on sixty-one minutes and after the restart a pinpoint cross by Riley saw Walsh pulled off a stunning point blank save from an Obhakhan header at the front post. Portadown continued to push and probe and on sixty-six minutes Walsh blocked a shot from Ukek with his feet.Mulgrew was substituted on seventy-six minutes but as he took his place on the bench referee Dunlop was called across and showed a second yellow and subsequent red card to the Linfield skipper. The blues however were not reduced to ten men as the substitution had already taken place.Portadown bravely pushed players forward in search of a goal and were causing panic in the Linfield defence. Eight minutes from time they were awarded a free kick twenty five yards from goal and following a quick exchange Fyfe fired goalwards, Walsh blocked his effort but Paul McElroy was quickest to react as he slid to force the ball past the keeper.That goal spurred on the visitors, and they had five and six men up front plying more and more pressure to the extent that with more than five minutes remaining, Linfield were already taking the ball into the corner to try and run down the clock.Linfield held on to inflict a first defeat in six games for Portadown but the performance was another indicator that Niall Currie has his side clearly moving in the right direction.Ports boss Niall Currie had nothing but praise for his players, “I was disappointed for the players, they were magnificent. I thought we were brave and a constant threat.” Special mention again must go to the travelling support for their nonstop backing of the team for the entire ninety minutes and beyond. Linfield: Walsh, East, Whiteside, Shields, Millar, Cooper(McCullough), Ballantyne(McKee), Mulgrew(Fallon), McGee, Fitzpatrick, Orr. Unused subs: Johns, Hall, McKay, Thompson

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