PORTS DEFEAT CARRICK TO HALT LOSING STREAK
Portadown picked up their first win in four outings with victory over Carrick Rangers at Shamrock Park.
The visitors came within a whisker of racing into the lead inside the opening ten minutes when Michael Smith smashed the ball towards goal only for Jacob Carney to tip it onto the crossbar.
Carrick came close just before the half-hour mark with Reece Glendinning seeing an effort from distance being driven just over the top while, a few minutes later, Steven Gordon nodded just wide after Kyle Cherry's corner had been knocked on.
However, the deadlock was broken at the other end just after that courtesy of Lee Bonis' close range header after Stephen Teggart had cut the ball back from the byline.
The Ports threaten to double their advantage on a couple of occasions before the hour with Sam Warde and then Teggart both producing saves from Hogg while, for Carrick, Smith fired just wide from inside the box.
Ben Tilney had a couple of chances for the Ports after that, a volley just over followed by a low curling free-kick before he then sent Oisin Conaty through to see an effort parried by Hogg.
Portadown did grab their second on 90 minutes. Hogg was penalised for bringing down Bonis and for the subsequent spot-kick Adam Salley stepped up to send the ball into the corner of the net.
There was still time for Carrick to pull one back when, in the 93rd minute, Corey McMullan turned the ball over the line from close range.
Portadown: Carney, Hall, McCallum, Finnegan, Tipton, Salley, Bonis, Teggart, Kerr, Warde, Tilney subs Buchanan (not used), Lavery (not used), Murray (not used), Croskery (not used), Guy (not used), Conaty (replaced Teggart 66), Jordan (not used)
Carrick Rangers: Hogg, Forsythe, Neale, Loughran, Chapman, Smith, Gordon, Cherry, Glendinning, Gibson, Anderson subs Connor Friel (not used), Rodgers (not used), Millar (not used), Kalla (replaced Cherry 72), Jenkins (replaced Gibson 66), McMullan (replaced Anderson 59), Ramsey (not used)
Substitution 
Substitution 
