Ports Fans Dream of Summer Sun

Crusaders had a couple of early opportunities in the Portadown box from the long throws of Jordan Forsythe, one of which forced McCarey into a goal-line scramble to stop the ball crossing the line. At the other end of the park a surging run to the byline by Chapman saw him play a dangerous near post ball but Obhakhan could not get the ball out of his feet when well placed.On eighteen minutes an over lapping run from Mayse ended in a floating cross to the back post where Ahu again was on hand, but his header was blocked for a corner. A couple of minutes later the same player was on the end of a free kick but he couldn’t get a clean contact on the ball. In the twenty fifth minute Altintop picked up a yellow for a foul on Offord on the edge of the Portadown area, and from the resultant free kick Jewitt-White saw his effort strike the upright and go behind.

Just before the half hour mark nice interplay between Fyfe and Mayse produced another Ports corner, but Crusaders cleared the ball and Offord was sent clear in the Portadown half, only for a last-ditch tackle by Thompson averting the danger.The second half kicked off without any ballboys, apparently, they had been ‘sent-off’ during the interval by referee Chris Morrison. It was a move which drew surprise from the Ports gaffer Niall Currie, “It’s a first for me, obviously you seen Jordan Forsythe walking forty yards to take a throw-in and I think the ballboys were setting the ball down where the throw-in should have been taken from, and I think they were penalised for that at the half.”Five minutes into the second half there was panic in the Ports penalty box when McCarey came for the ball, but he couldn’t get enough purchase on it. As the ball dropped it was fired by Jordan Stewart, but his shot was deflected onto the bar and out to Clarke and his snapshot was superbly blocked by McCarey. Three minutes later a nice piece of exchange play between Fyfe and Chapman saw the ball flash across the face of goal.With play going from end to end a Crusaders break saw a Jordan Sterwart shot crash off the post in the fifty fifth minute.

Two minutes later Gary Thompson set up Ryan Mayse and his powerful shot was well saved by Tuffey at the expense of a corner. Crusaders failed to clear the danger and as the ball dropped to Steven McCullough, he fired a low drive past Tuffey.Crusaders picked up a double yellow in quick succession as Mayse was brought down by Forsythe and as the Ports broke clear Lowry saw yellow for a cynical challenge.That solitary goal from McCullough was enough to take all three points and move The Ports into second place ahead of the Christmas and New Year games. An eighth clean sheet of the season from Aaron McCarey and his backline had the Ports boss full of praise for his defence, “It’sanother clean sheet for us, our backline has been fantastic and our goalkeeper as well. I thought Lee Chapman was outstanding today. We miss Baris for the Boxing Day game, but I’d like to think Shay McCartan will be available