PORTADOWN signalled their intent in the battle for European places with a 2-0 victory over faltering Irish Premiership champions Larne at Shamrock Park on Saturday night.
Josh Ukek and Ahu Obhakan grabbed the goals in the first half for Niall Currie’s men to pile the pressure on Larne boss Gary Haveron and move the Co Armagh side into fifth place in the table.
Portadown goalkeeper Aaron McCarey was also delighted to keep a clean sheet and paid tribute to their defensive effort in the second half after those two quick-fire goals in the first half.
“We got the first goal, quickly followed by the second which was great, and I thought we were very professional in the second half and saw the game out, I don’t think Larne created too much which was a credit to our lads,” he told BBC Sport NI.
“I wasn’t expecting it as easy as that, but Larne have played a lot of games and they’re playing catch up so I knew if we were right there was a chance we could capitalise, and I have to say the boys were fantastic.”
It was the third league game on the bounce that Larne have failed to find the net and manager Haveron branded the performance “unacceptable”.
“I’m bitterly disappointed with the show we have put on for our fans who paid to come down here and watch us, we let them down badly especially with that first half performance,” he told BBC Sport NI.
“Portadown were hungrier, they wanted it more, they played the conditions better, we didn’t look like we knew what we were doing, we were clueless in our performance, overall, not acceptable”.
Runaway leaders Linfield re-established their 20-point lead at the top with a 1-0 win against Loughgall at Windsor Park, former Antrim GAA star Matthew Fitzpatrick scoring the winner.
Second-placed Glentoran had cut the gap after beating Coleraine 2-1 at the Showgrounds on Friday night.
Paddy McLaughlin’s Glenavon made it five successive league wins with a 3-1 home victory over former club Cliftonville. Reds boss Jim Magilton admitted that they were in the midst of a punishing schedule, but conceded Glenavon were the better team on the day.
“We got what we deserved, we were second best all over the pitch, they played with intensity, and we couldn’t match it, and we made bad decisions that cost us,” he said.
“It’s the fourth game in 10 days and it caught up with us, there were a lot of poor individual performances, and too many poor decisions cost us goals.”
Third-placed Dungannon Swifts saw off Stephen Baxter’s Carrick Rangers 3-1.
Crusaders beat Ballymena United 3-1 at Seaview.