Sports Direct Prmiership: Portadown 2 Dungannon Swifts 1
BEN Wylie timed his first Portadown goal to perfection to secure a first home win since returning to the Sports Direct Women’s Premiership.
The former Cliftonville winger was only on the pitch for 24 minutes when he powered home a 95th minute winner to give the Ports a 2-1 win over Dungannon Swifts at Shamrock Park.
His strike completed a wonderful comeback for the Ports, who trailed after 13 minutes thank to Danny Wallace’s first goal for the Swifts, with Ahu Obhakan cancelling that out early in the second half.
Dungannon had been on the front foot from early in the game, coming within a whisker of taking the lead after just eight minutes when Leo Alves hit a shot that shook the crossbar after the ball as pulled back to him from the touchline.
Portadown got another warning five minutes later when Bobby-Jack McAleese’s shot from the edge of the box brought a fine fingertip save from Aaron McCarey.
Seconds later though it was 1-0 when from the corner that ensued Adam Glenny headed back across goal and Danny Wallace was first to the ball to force it home from close range with his right foot.
Portadown had been sluggish until that point, but they reacted when Eamon Fyfe’s driven shot was blocked by Glenny and Josh Ukek twice shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
Kealan Dillon thought he had restored Dungannon’s lead when his inswinging corner almost caught out McCarey, who had to leap across his goal to push the ball away, but despite his protests the officials didn’t agree that the ball had crossed the line.
Ports took just four minutes of the second half to level matters, with a slick move that came down the left wing.
Ukek and Fyfe linked to free Steven McCullough and Obhakhan slid in to divert his low cross into the net.
It became end to end stuff in the closing stages. Wylie had the ball in the net only to have been judged offside as he latched onto Ryan Mayse’s pass, while at the other end James Knowles went close with a header that McCarey got down low to save.
As they pushed for the winner the Ports forced a number of late corners and in the fifth minute of injury time Wylie stole in at the back post to divert Mayse’s delivery into the net and send the home crowd at Shamrock Park into raptures.
Portadown: McCarey, Chapman, Altintop, MacKinnon, McCullough, Wilson (Wylie 71 mins), Thompson (McCawl 58 mins), Fyfe, McCartan (Mullan 71 mins), Ukek (Redman 86 mins), Obhakhan (Mayse 58 mins). Unused subs: Ray, Henderson.
Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, S Scott, McGovern (Owens 85 mins), Dillon, Alves (Mitchell 71 mins), Glenny, McGinty, Maguire (Boyd 85 mins), McAleese (Knowles 59 mins), Wallace, Bigirmana. Unused subs: Grogan, J Scott, King.
Referee: Tony Clarke