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Late,
late show a stunner for Ports
A late
late burst by Lisburn Distillery grabbed the points from Portadown
in this Shamrock Park thriller.
A
stunner of an equaliser from Gareth McKeown and Conor Hagan penalty
- both in the last six minutes - did the damage.
Portadown
seemed to have the points in the bag at that late stage courtesy
of a Darren Kelly header, but never say die Distillery had other
ideas.
The
match was five minutes late in starting and almost 30 minutes late
in warming up with both teams fiddling in midfield.
The
shot of note was on two minutes when Portadown fullback Henry McStay
let rip from 25 yards, but Whites' keeper Philip Matthews was perfectly
placed to deal with the effort.
Portadown's
new signing, former Northampton and Oldham midfielder Paul Rickers
sent one or two astute passes to the front runners, but the Distillery
defence was in top form and Little came from the attacks.
The
game got the goal it desperately needed on 27 minutes when Darren
Kelly headed home.
Marc
McCann was the architect when he attacked down the right and whipped
in a perfect cross for Kelly to nod home at the far post.
That
woke Distillery from the slumbers. Conor Hagan had a back-header
saved
by Portadown keeper David Miskelly, then had a penalty claim properly
turned down when the ball struck Kyle Neill on the hand.
Half-time:
Portadown 1 Lisburn Distillery 0.
Distillery
stepped up a gear after the interval, and Francis Murphy saw a crisp
effort deflected into the side netting.
Portadown
livened up and came close when McStay got his head to a wicked inswinging
corner from Neill, but it shaved the crossbar.
Then
Conor Hagan missed at the other end after Ryan Gatney set him up,
and Kelly saw a header clip the crossbar at the other end.
The
Whites came close when Miskelly beat out a shot from Armour, and
Armstrong following up hit the side netting.
What
a stunner of an equaliser on 84 minutes as Distillery turned the
screw!
Gareth
McKeown was the hero when he ran onto a loose ball and thundered
a vicious dipper into the roof of the net from 35 yards, giving
Miskielly no chance.
Then
came the dramatic winner two minutes from time - a Hagan penalty.
Murphy raced into the box and was sandwiched between McStay and
substitute Philip Craig and Hagan to hammered hard and low into
the net for the winner..
PORTADOWN:
Miskelly, McStay, Neill, Clarke, Convery, Kelly, Rickers, Collins,
Hamilton, Baker, McCann. Subs: Craig, Teggart, Quinn.
LISBURN
DISTILLERY: Matthews, McKeown, Ferguson, Thompson, Armour, Muir,
Gatney, Hagan, Armstrong, Casey, Murphy. Subs: Dickson, Johnston,
McLaughlin
Referee:
David Best (Carnmoney).
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