Soccer: Reds enjoy back-to-back wins after victory at Ports

NIFL Premiership
Portadown 0
Cliftonville 2
At Shamrock Park 

CLIFTONVILLE made it back-to-back league wins for the first time in 2026 with a 2-0 win against Portadown at Shamrock Park on Wednesday evening.

Ahead through a Joe Sheridan goal inside the first quarter of the contest, it took until the dying embers to secure the points when Rory Hale’s angled free-kick was adjudged to have dropped over the line by Alex Moore as Jim Magilton’s men moved three-points clear of Carrick Rangers in the race for sixth place and closed the gap on Dungannon Swifts, much to the delight of the Reds boss.

“I’d have felt happier if they allowed the goal to stand and we went into the game 1-0 right from kick-off, but unfortunately that doesn't happen,” Magilton joked.

“I thought first half we were excellent. I thought our basics, and discipline was top notch. I thought we scored a wonderful goal. Joe [Sheridan] seems to like it here.

“Obviously delighted with the three points, it’s always a tough ask after the Sunday game where that takes care of itself in terms of once you win the game – can you build on that?

“Tonight the players basics, their discipline, their attitude and their character; things that are tested here because of the quality of the opposition. You have to match that and come out with a little bit more.

“I thought we defended resolutely again – the second half especially – and probably on another occasion, had we been a little more ruthless with the final game, we might have won more comfortably.

“I can’t really comment on the second goal because I haven’t seen it. I don’t really want to bring it up because Portadown have been on the receiving end of a couple of those this season, but we’ll take it – it’s three points for us and it helps build momentum."

Magilton made three changes from Sunday's 2-0 win over Linfield. Two were enforced as Luke Conlon and Brian Healy dropped out through injury, and Adebayo Fapetu was also absent as Sean Robertson, Joe Sheridan and Ryan Curran were all drafted into the starting line-up.

The Ports were first to threaten when James Teelan’s cross was partially cleared and Josh Carson’s flicked header goalwards was unconvincingly gathered by PJ Morrison.

The visitor's first opportunity came through Rory Hale who cut in and unleashed a low curling shot that Alex Moore parried behind for a corner.

The deadlock was broken after 18-minutes and fell to Cliftonville. Micheál Glynn picked out Ryan Curran on the edge of the box, the striker shielded the ball and slipped it into Joe Sheridan whose low strike found the bottom corner to make it 1-0.

Sheridan could have doubled his tally but flashed a shot over from the edge of the area, a few minutes after Adam Towe’s shot was blocked by Josh Kelly.

Rory Hale went close again from a Liam McStravick cross and in first half injury time the Reds' captain clipped in a free kick that Josh Kelly met, though his header was turned over by Moore as Sheridan’s goal was the difference at the interval.

Portadown applied the early pressure at the beginning of the second half, James Teelan floated the ball into the area towards Tetteh, but PJ Morrison came to collect.

At the other end Rory Hale’s corner from the left arrived at the back post and Jonny Addis’ header goalwards was held by Alex Moore.

Just before the hour mark the hosts spurned a gilt-edged chance to restore parity. Eamon Fyfe’s cross from the right found Divin Isamala and he somehow glanced past the post and wide from inside the six-yard box.

Cliftonville regained the initiative in the final twenty minutes, goalscorer from the second postponed fixture last month, Joseph Toole, drove towards the box and unleashed a shot that Moore held.

Jonny Addis then recovered after cheaply conceding possession and a counter-attack saw Rory Hale with the ball in a promising position, instead of slipping it for goal-scorer Sheridan Hale elected to shoot himself and ballooned it over.

Hale then sent in a dangerous cross that Isamala diverted clear before the game was settled when the North Belfast side doubled their advantage in the 86th minute.

Rory Hale swung in a high-angled free-kick from the right that Alex Moore dropped over the line in the opinion of the linesman who flagged for a goal amidst furious protests from the Portadown players who argued otherwise.

It would prove the last major talking point as Cliftonville moved three-points clear of Carrick Rangers with two games in hand and closed to within three-points of Dungannon Swifts in fifth, again having two games in hand over the Tyrone outfit.

PORTADOWN: Moore, Altintop, Isamala, Chapman (Minzamba 46’), McCullough, Fyfe, Tetteh (Quinn 67’), Teeland, Obhakhan, Towe, Carson.

CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Leppard, Addis, Glynn, Toole, Kelly, Hale (Pepper 89’), Sheridan, Robertson (McCay 75’), McStravick (Hawthorne 67’), Curran (Carroll 89’).

REFEREE: Declan Hassan