Portadown

3

Glenavon

3

LATE BRADLEY PENALTY SPLITS MID-ULSTER DERBY HONOURS

26th Dec 2014

The spoils were shared thanks to a dramatic finish to this Mid-Ulster Boxing Day derby at Shamrock Park.

Darren Murray opened the scoring for the Ports on 28 minutes with a close range finish after Sean Mackle had beaten the offside trap to deliver the crucial ball.

Prior to that Mark McAllister had threatened on a couple of occasions with one effort saved by James McGrath while a poor first touch let him down as he found himself one-on-one with the Glenavon 'keeper.

For the visitors Eoin Bradley and Kevin Braniff saw a couple of half chances end up in the side netting.

Bradley went one better ten minutes from the break after blasting a right-foot finish past David Miskelly from an angle.

Then, right at the end of the first half, McAllister got on the scoresheet with a finish from point blank range after McGrath let the ball slip at his feet.

Glenavon levelled eight minutes into the second half through Ciaran Caldwell when the ball fell for him to blast a left-foot drive into the top left corner.

Murray provided a constant threat for the Ports, coming within a whisker of scoring on a couple of occasions. One chance was cleared off the line by Rhys Marshall before a later ball clipped the crossbar.

Portadown regained the lead with 11 minutes remaining with a 10-yard finish after a blocked Mackle effort fell perfectly into his path.

But there was late drama in stoppage time after Ports 'keeper Miskelly upended Bradley in the area, conceding a penalty and receiving his marching orders in the process.

Substitute 'keeper Billy Brennan replaced him between the posts to face the spot-kick but he was powerless to stop Bradley drilling the ball down the middle to earn Glenavon a point.

Portadown: Miskelly, Casement, Redman, Ramsey, Breen, P. McMahon, Mackle, Murray, McAllister, Gault, Garrett subs Brennan (replaced Murray 90+2), Mouncey (replaced Garrett 67), Twigg (replaced McMahon 75), Lyttle (not used), Conaty (not used)

Glenavon: McGrath, Neill, Murphy, Bradley, Dillon, Caldwell, Marshall, Braniff, McCabe, Martyn, Singleton subs Lindsay (not used), Kilmartin (not used), Patton (replaced Neill 75), Sykes (not used), Forsyth (replaced Marshall 87)

Referee: Ross Dunlop

Attendance: 2437

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