Cliftonville 3
Portadown 1
From Kevin Herron at Solitude
CLIFTONVILLE got back to winning ways in the league after successive defeats with a 3-1 victory over Portadown at Solitude on Saturday afternoon.
Brian Healy opened his account in the league and then turned provider for former Ports midfielder Ben Quinn to continue his goal-scoring start to the campaign.
Healy doubled his tally before the hour mark, ahead of Eamon Fyfe pulling back a consolation goal for David Jeffrey’s side, who remain without a win in their opening five encounters.
Reds boss Jim Magilton felt the three points were crucial coming off their back-to-back defeats and praised Brian Healy for his brace.
“It’s a big three points for us, and largely because of last week,” Magilton reflected. “We had a really good opportunity midweek to get players minutes. Going into this game was all about three points.
“You always want to play well, and you always want to show a real attacking threat. I thought for large parts we did that and probably should have scored more and made the game more comfortable.
“At 3-0, we had one or two opportunities to really kill the game off and gave up a really poor goal, and that gives Portadown a little bit more belief and for that little hairy, scary five minutes then they created a few more opportunities.
“Overall, really pleased. Overall, delighted that Brian [Healy] scored two goals, two fantastic goals."
There was one enforced change from the Cliftonville XI that was beaten 2-0 by Dungannon Swifts last weekend. Harry Wilson missed out through suspension, with Joseph Sheridan coming into the starting line-up.
Both sides created early half chances as James Teelan crossed from the left and Rory Hale did enough to prevent a possible tap-in at the near post, whilst Oliver Samuels flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal, though there were no takers.
Teelan was a constant threat in the opening period, he beat Samuels and put another pinpoint cross that Alex Bannon headed clear.
It was Cliftonville who broke the deadlock after 18 minutes. Dean McMaster played a fine through ball that Brian Healy latched onto, and the striker kept his nerve and rolled the ball past Jamie Barry in the Ports goal to make it 1-0.
Midway through the half Ben Kennedy dug out a cross from the right that Daniel O’Connor nodded behind for a corner.
Teelan continued to pose problems and his pullback from the byline was initially cleared by Bannon ahead of a snapshot wide from Dominic Dos Santos Martins.
The Ports best chance of an equaliser came prior to the half hour mark. Teelan picked out Eamon Fyfe in the centre and his shot was somehow turned over the bar and behind by PJ Morrison.
Instead, Cliftonville doubled their lead in the 35th minute. Brian Healy flashed a cross from the left and ex-Ports midfielder Ben Quinn nodded home his third goal of the season.
Cliftonville’s Ben Quinn celebrates after scoring his sides second goal of the match
Jim Magilton’s charges should have extended their lead before the break but Jamie Barry was twice equal to Liam McStravick attempts as Healy and Quinn’s goals were the difference at the interval.
Cliftonville again had the chance to pull further clear when Oliver Samuels cut back and Healy was unable to steer his header goalwards, though he did double his tally and make it 3-0 in the 56th minute.
Oliver Samuels did well to keep PJ Morrison’s pass in play. Dean McMaster then sent a killer pass into the path of Healy who cut the ball back and curled the ball past Baris Altintop and goalkeeper Jamie Barry.
Healy could have had a hat-trick after Rory Hale raced forward and slipped the ball into his path, but the striker's shot was too high.
Portadown found a lifeline in the 65th minute, a route one pass from Jamie Barry dropped for James Teelan and he clipped a cross into the box for Eamon Fyfe to glance beyond Morrison and into the bottom corner to make it 3-1.
The Ports almost made it a grandstand finish when Fyfe cushioned a header for Ahu Obhakhan to strike the outside of the post.
Joe Gormley was then denied by Barry as the hosts ran out 3-1 winners to make it three wins from five, whilst Portadown’s search for their opening points of the campaign goes on.
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Samuels, O’Connor (Leppard 76’), McClelland, Bannon, McMaster, Hale (Thompson 76’), Sheridan, Quinn (Campbell 57’), Healy (Gormley 86’), McStravick (Conlon 86’).
PORTADOWN: Barry, Altintop, MacKinnon, Chapman, Towe (Flanagan 63’), Fyfe (Falls 78’), Jessop (Wells 46’), Traynor, Teelan, Kennedy (Obhakhan 63’), Martins (Hewitt 46’).
REFEREE: Tim Marshall
