CLIFTONVILLE finished November unbeaten and cemented their place in the top-six with a 3-2 second half comeback win against Portadown at Shamrock Park on Saturday afternoon.
Seconds after Ryan Curran saw his header come back off the post, Portadown hit the front through a Jordan Gibson goal via the underside of the bar.
It was the difference until Joe Sheridan scored his first goal for the club early in the second half and Sheridan played his part in his side hitting the front when his cross came off the hand of Josh Ukek in the area and Ryan Curran slotted home from 12-yards.
Jack Keaney sealed all three points when he headed home his third goal in a matter of days and despite substitute Rhys Annett netting deep into added time, it was scant consolation as the Reds held on for victory and ended a run of four-games undefeated against the Shamrock Park outfit.
Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton was pleased that his side were able to rally after conceding from a source they had talked about in the first half.
“The first half was pretty even steven until the last minutes of the game where we’ve created a wonderful opportunity, great play, a fantastic cross, a fantastic header, although he [Ryan Curran] will be very disappointed he hasn’t scored,” he said.
Jim Magilton celebrates with the Cliftonville away fans
“Then as discussed pre-game about how pacy they are in transition, they are very good and we got caught out. Potentially on another day, it is a foul on Harry [Wilson]. We didn’t get it," said the Reds boss.
Magilton believes that his side failed to see the strength of the Portadown counter-attack, but his half-time team talk spurred them onto victory.
“One of their strengths is the counterattack and they score a goal. We go in at half time, we group and talk about increasing the quality. I thought for 45 minutes we were probably a little bit lethargic from Tuesday night – physically it was a demanding pitch, this is another demanding pitch.
“We don’t deal in excuses here, the players don't. They regrouped, we rallied the troops and in the second half we were really good – really, really good. For an away team coming here, a difficult place to come”.
Magilton made one change from the XI that defeated Coleraine last weekend as Harry Wilson returned from suspension.
The Ports were first to threaten when Aaron McCarey’s long ball was flicked on and it allowed James Teelan to touch the ball past Peter Morrison, but it slowed down and Odhran Casey was able to touch it behind for a corner.
The resulting corner also caused danger as Eamon Fyfe’s delivery was glanced inches over by Josh Ukek.
On the quarter hour mark a quick free kick between Rory Hale and Keevan Hawthorne saw the ball cut back to the edge of the box where Jack Keaney’s low shot lacked the power to trouble McCarey.
Ben Wylie went close after skipping away from Odhran Casey and pulling his low shot inches past the target,
The breakthrough arrived in the 34th minute and it is one that would have been a source of frustration for Cliftonville. Joe Sheridan robbed Jordan Gibson and fed Hawthorne whose low cross was met by Ryan Curran and his header crashed off the post. The Ports then turned defence to attack and after Josh Ukek’s initial cross ricocheted back into his direction, the second cross found Gibson who fired home via the underside of the bar to make it 1-0 at the interval.
Within ten minutes of the restart Cliftonville drew level. Odhran Casey slid a pass into the path of Joe Sheridan, the youngster showed neat footwork to get himself into a shooting position before slotting past Aaron McCarey for his first senior goal for the club.
Keevan Hawthorne curled a shot over in the aftermath as the visitors enjoyed their best period of pressure.
Just past the midway point in the second half an attempted Sheridan cross came off the hand of Josh Ukek in the area and referee Evan Boyce pointed to the spot. Responsibility fell to Ryan Curran who missed from the spot the last time Cliftonville defeated the Ports, but he made no mistake on this occasion, firing down the middle to complete the turnaround with twenty minutes remaining.
Portadown pushed for the equaliser and had two opportunities in quick succession. The first fell to Josh Ukuk who failed to slide the ball home under pressure from Jack Keaney, then a snapshot from Ben Wylie was straight at Peter Morrison.
The game looked to have been put beyond doubt in the 88th minute when Harry Wilson’s cross was diverted behind for a corner by substitute Tabu Minzamba and Rory Hale’s resulting corner was headed home by Jack Keaney after his midweek double in the County Antrim Shield.
The hosts left it too late to set up a grandstand finish when substitute Rhys Annett nipped onto a long pass forward and poked the ball past Morrison, but the final whistle sounded from Cliftonville’s centre as Jim Magilton’s side ended November undefeated and they moved above Dungannon Swifts into fifth place in the table.
PORTADOWN: McCarey, Isamala, Altintop, Mackinnon, Wylie, Ukek (Quinn 76’), McCullough, Gibson (Wilson 68’), Fyfe, Teelan (Annett 83’), Thompson (Minzamba 76’).
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Casey, Addis, Keaney, Lavery, Wilson, Sheridan (Pepper 75’), Hale, Hawthorne, McWoods (Gormley 75’), Curran (Falls 90+1’).
REFEREE: Evan Boyce
