A Jordan Jenkins’ double gave Glentoran a well-deserved 2-0 win away to Portadown in tonight’s Sports Direct Irish Premiership tie at Shamrock Park.
Jenkins scored in either half for Declan Devine’s team, who now look like a match for anyone. The win lifts the Glens to second in the table with the Ports remaining in fourth.
The opening 20 minutes of the game was a cagey affair, with both sides trying to outfox the other, but it was the Glens that eventually made the breakthrough on 24 minutes.
Fuad Sule played a long ball up-field that found Jenkins in behind the Ports defence, and he smashed the opener past goalkeeper Jamie Ray with a venomous finish on the half-volley.
Soon after the hosts were almost back on level terms. Dangerman Ahu Obhakhan met Steven McCullough’s corner with an overhead kick that whistled just over the Glentoran crossbar.
Jenkins continued to be a thorn in the Portadown side and almost grabbed a second on the stroke of half-time thanks to some calamitous goalkeeping from Ray.
The frontman this time chased after a pass from David Fisher which Ray raced out to intercept, however, he completely missed the ball. Thankfully for the stopper, defender Lee Chapman was on hand with a last-ditch tackle to prevent Jenkins from doubling his tally.
Jenkins began the second period the way he finished the first, and he almost did get his second of the evening on 58 minutes. After a smart one-two with Cameron palmer, the striker got an effort away, but it was well saved from Ray.
Three minutes later the Ports almost made the Glens pay for missed opportunities when McCullough got on the end of a super Ben Wylie cross, but the full-back’s volley whizzed over the bar.
If Niall Currie had thought his side had ridden out the Jenkins’ storm, he was to be disappointed, when his side conceded a penalty on 66 minutes.
Fisher was brought down in the area by Lewis MacKinnon, and Jenkins made no mistake from the spot, blasting home to make it 2-0 against his former club.
Fisher himself could have added the icing to the cake five minutes from time after rounding Ray in goal, but his weak finish was cleared off the line by Altintop.
Next up for the Glens is a short trip to play the Welders on Saturday in the fifth-round of the Irish Cup, whilst Portadown will hope for better when they make the journey to play Annagh United.
Portadown: Ray, Altintop, MacKinnon, Chapman, Mayse, McCullough, Fyfe, Wylie, Obhakhan, McCartan, Thompson.
Subs: Wright, Wilson, McElroy, Henderson, Ukek, Traynor, Riley.
Glentoran: Mills, Lyons-Foster, Hvid, Sule, Palmer, Donnelly, Fisher, Amos, Singleton, Jenkins, Douglas.
Subs: Beimers, Aouachria, Parfitt, Murphy, Lindsay, Russell, Thorndike.