Red Sky delight for Ports

Eamon Fife made sure that Ukek’s equaliser had crossed the line for Portadown

In front of a live TV audience on Sky Sports, Portadown followed up their point on the road at Larne with another well-earned point at Solitude. Indeed, they could have taken all three points in a dramatic finish to the game with Cliftonville keeper Odumosu the hero for the home side. It was a performance that left Niall Currie praising the character of his side

In a cagey first half Portadown were first to show when Wilson dragged down McCartan 25 yards from goal. McCartan stepped up to take the free kick but fired it straight into the defensive wall and when the ball spun clear to Ukek he ballooned his effort high over the crossbar.Both teams were feeling each other out in the opening quarter of an hour, sitting in deep and not committing, with a top six place the prize at the end of the day. McCarey turned a Conlon effort over the bar at his near post while at the other end Ukek outpaced Addis but couldn’t get the ball across goal from the byline. Cliftonville had a half-hearted shout for a penalty when Chapman and Conlon had a coming together in the box.Portadown should have opened the scoring in the eighteenth minute, when they won a corner after Ukek beat Kearney for pace. McCullough swung the set piece across the goalmouth and as Odumosu flapped at the ball Altintop was left with an easy header at the back post, but the big central defender seemed to duck under the ball completely missing a golden opportunity.Five minutes later the visitors threatened the Cliftonville goal again, but Shay McCartan unmarked, shot straight at the keeper. Cliftonville were edging the possession but all too often the final pass wasn’t there. On twenty-seven minutes McCartan again caused panic in the home defence when he drove forward at pace but unleashing a shot which Odumosu scrambled around the post.Just before the half hour mark a long ball pumped forward by Cliftonville was superbly cleared by McCarey as he raced out of his box to head away the danger, leaving the keeper dazed by the force of his clearance.The opening goal came on thirty-one minutes when Keaney cut inside, dragged the ball onto his left foot and his cross found MacKinnon and Altintop ball watching, allowing McWoods and Curran to exploit the space and Curran took a touch before sliding the ball past McCarey.The lead lasted just three minutes when Ahu Obhakhan scored one of the goals of the season. McCullough’s perfectly place cross from the left wing saw Obhakhan beat Kearney to the ball and his deft flick looped over the stranded Cliftonville keeper. Portadown could have been in front seven minutes before the break when McCartan took off on another surging run and with Teelan peeling off the Cliftonville back line in front of goal McCartan chose to play it to Ukek on his right, forcing the winger wide and his near post effort was easily dealt with.Neither side made any changes at the break and in the first minute of the second period that man McCartan again bore down on goal, but he lofted the ball over the bar. McWoods and Hale then had chances for Cliftonville, but the visitors goal remained intact. The signs were there however and when Portadown conceded possession having had a throw-in at the opposition corner flag, Cliftonville broke on the counterattack Hale was left unmarked to fire past McCarey.Niall Currie reacted immediately to the setback bringing on Wylie and changing formation which produced an instant response from his team. Minzamba’s cross was just too hard for Ukek to deal with and Ukek himself dragged a near post shot just wide. Ukek was causing all sorts of problems and Chapman on the opposite wing Chapman flicked the ball just wide. On seventy-nine minutes Portadown came from behind for the second time, Chapman cut the back from a tight angle and with Odumosu misjudging the flight of the ball Ukek nipped in to head home with Fyfe making sure it had gone across the line.McCartan and Wylie were controlling the midfield action and McCartan saw a last gasp block prevent him squaring across goal for a tap in by Fyfe or Ukek. In the last minute of the ninety the Cliftonville fans held their breath as it looked like Wylie had grabbed all three points, but Odumosu at full stretch turned the ball around the past as it appeared to have evaded his fingertips.Portadown manager Niall Currie was a proud man at the final whistle as he reflected on what could have been, “I think over the course of the game a draw is probably a fair result, we had a couple of wee lovely chances there at the end. Ben Wylie’s effort, it’s an unbelievable save, we were up in the air we thought it was in. The character of our boys this season has been outstanding. The challenge now is to finish the season and finish the season right.”Cliftonville: Odumosu, Addis, Kearney, Hale, Curran, Conlon, Piesold(Lowe), Casey, Keany, Wilson(Gordon), McWoods(Parsons). Unused subs: Ridd, Ojo, McGuiness, CorriganPortadown: McCarey, McCullough, Altintop, MacKinnon, Chapman, Minzamba, McCartan, Thompson(Wylie), Teelan(Isamala), Obhakhan(Fyfe), Ukek .Unused subs: Wright, D Wilson, McElroy, Mayse.