It was the Crues, though, who started the brightest and they might have moved in front as early as the third minute when Ports 'keeper David Miskelly had to be alert to tip away an Eamon McAllister effort.

Stephen McBride then threatened with a 30-yard free-kick which Miskelly gathered but almost carried over the line while David Rainey came close with a rasping shot ten minutes from the break.

However it was Portadown who made the breakthrough nine minutes into the second half when Gareth McKeown teamed up with Conor Hagan for the latter to slot the ball inside Gregg Shannon's near post. goal

And Gary McCutcheon made it 2-0 on 75 minutes when, despite home offside calls, he blasted the ball past Gregg Shannon after a Marc McCann shot from a Philip Craig cross fell loose.