Ports condemn Swifts to fifth defeat

Dungannon Swifts…..0

Portadown……3

Goals either side of half-time by Stephen Teggart and Adam McCallum and a late strike by Barney McKeown condemned Dungannon Swifts to their fifth defeat of the season at Stangmore Park this evening.

Teggart scored direct from a corner on 45 minutes and shortly after the interval McCallum netted from another set-piece before McKeown hammered home the clincher with just five minutes remaining to secure a second win for Matthew Tipton’s Ports.

That lifts the Ports above both Glentoran and Coleraine and level on points with Dungannon.

Initially this Mid Ulster clash was something of a slow burner with Rhyss Campbell providing the first shot in anger for the hosts.

That set the tone with Daniel Hughes and Kris Lowe both testing Ports keeper Benjamin Pierce from distance.

Dungannon continued to call the tune with Campbell heading an Adam Glenny cross over before the same player sent a flashing angled drive above the crossbar in the wake of another scintillating passage of play by the home side.

Towards the end of the half Dungannon keeper Sam Johnston denied Adam Salley before Teggart fizzed over after he was picked out by Lee Bonis.

Swifts failed to heed those warning shots and on the stroke of half-time Teggart scored direct from a corner.

Things went from bad to worse for Dungannon when McCallum forced home a second for the visitors minutes into the new half.

Swifts had a glorious opportunity to halve the deficit but visiting keeper Pierce saved Michael Carvill’s penalty awarded for a foul on Campbell.

Shortly afterwards Pierce tipped a Hughes free kick onto his crossbar before McKeown hammered the final nail in Dungannon’s coffin.

The Teams

Dungannon Swifts: Johnston; King; Brennan; McMullan (Forde 53); Glenny; Smyth; McGinty (O’Kane 21); Carvill (Convie 70); Lowe; Hughes; Campbell.

Subs not used: Byrne; Teggart; Patton; Gallagher.

Portadown: Pierce; Hall; McCallum; Finnegan; McKeown; Wilson; Teggart (Tipton 90+1); Healy; Bonis; Salley (Kerr 90+2); Lavery.

Subs not used: Pengelly; Crane; McGrandles; Croskery; Conaty.

Referee: Jamie Robinson