NIFL Premiership
Portadown 1–1 Cliftonville
Paul O’Neill headed home an equaliser with little over 10 minutes remaining to ensure that his side remain top of the table after a 1-1 draw with Portadown at Shamrock Park.
The Ports hit the front through a Stephen Teggart strike early in the second half and goalkeeper Jethren Barr produced a string of outstanding saves to deny Paddy McLaughlin’s side in the aftermath.
It looked as though it was going to be an afternoon of frustration until Paul O’Neill pounced late on and ensured at the very least, they would salvage a share of the spoils.
Reds boss Paddy McLaughlin felt it was two points dropped, based on the chances they spurned in the second period and reserved praise for the Ports goalkeeper for keeping his side at bay.
“We are a point better off than when we started the day, but we see it as probably two points dropped,” reflected McLaughlin.
“We’d so many chances to win it at the end. You’ve got to give the ’keeper full credit - he was superb and made a couple of great saves.
“We’ve had two off the line and a couple of calls went against us, there were three or four really tight decisions that went against us. On another day we’d have won the game, probably won by a couple of goals, but we’ll take a point.
“A lot of sides have come here and dropped points as well and you can see why. They defend really well and they’re hard to break down.
“In the second half I thought if the game goes on any longer we’d have probably broke their resolve in the end.
“Unfortunately, we could only do it the once and like I say, it was nothing to do with our forward play - our forwards were excellent. It was down to their ’keeper and some brilliant last-ditch defending.”
McLaughlin made two changes to the side that were beaten on penalties in Tuesday evening’s County Antrim Shield semi-final to Linfield.
Conor McDermott and Paul O’Neill were drafted into the starting 11 at the expense of Jamie McDonagh and Joe Gormley.
Cliftonville had the first half chance when Chris Curran cut the ball back and Greg Hall cleared at the expense of a corner which came to nothing. At the other end, Adam Salley produced a cross which Lee Bonis failed to meet.
Chris Curran drew a stop from Jethran Barr and 60 seconds later, Daniel Kearns slipped in Ryan Curran whose effort was deflected behind.
Bonis glanced wide from a Stephen Teggart cross for the hosts while the striker dragged another shot wide of Luke McNicholas’ goal.
Ten minutes before the break, Levi Ives almost produced a replica of his strike against Larne, but it deflected off the Ports wall and behind for a corner.
The resulting set-piece was played short and fed into the path of Kris Lowe whose square pass fell invitingly to Daniel Kearns and his strike was inches wide of the post.
Jonny Addis almost produced a moment of magic with a bicycle kick that drifted wide of the target and just before the break, Sammy McLeod scooped a marvellous opportunity over the top as the sides headed in at the break with the game scoreless.
Like the League Cup meeting last month, it was Portadown who took the lead early in the second half.
Stephen Teggart advanced forward and his shot found the bottom corner of the net to make it 1-0.
Paddy McLaughlin reacted by introducing Joe Gormley and he almost made an instant impact after racing onto a long clearance and going through one-on-one with Jetheran Barr, but the Ports’ goalkeeper made a magnificent block and the follow-up from Ryan Curran was high and wide.
Michael Ruddy may have doubled his side’s lead from Teggart’s free-kick, but he glanced wide of the target.
Cliftonville pushed for an equaliser with Jamie McDonagh’s free-kick coming through to Gormley, but Barr denied the striker and the danger was scrambled behind. A succession of corners followed, but the visitors couldn’t make the pressure pay.
Ryan Curran was next to go close, heading wide from a Conor McDermott cross and the Portadown goal continued to lead a charmed life when McDonagh’s cross dropped to Paul O’Neill and Paul Finnegan somehow stretched and cleared on the line.
On 79 minutes, the league leaders found the equaliser that their pressure deserved when Jamie McDonagh crossed from the right and Paul O’Neill stooped to head past Barr for his first league goal of the season.
O’Neill went close to a second from a free-kick that took a deflection and looped over for a corner.
Moments later, Levi Ives cross was knocked down by O’Neill and Gormley pounced, but Barr made a terrific stop.
Portadown may have found a late winner themselves, but Adam Salley snatched at an opportunity and blasted wide. Neither side could find the elusive third goal and were forced to settle for a point a piece.
PORTADOWN: Barr, Hall, Ruddy, Finnegan, McKeown, Salley, Bonis, Conaty (Warde 90+1), Teggart (Tipton 84), McLeod, Jordan.
CLIFTONVILLE: McNicholas, McDermott, Addis, Turner, Ives, C Curran, Gallagher (McDonagh 50), Lowe, Kearns (Gormley 55), R Curran, O’Neill.
REFEREE: Steven Gregg
