PORTS PICK UP CRUCIAL THREE POINTS

Portadown picked up a crucial three points with victory over Warrenpoint Town in the big basement battle at Milltown.

The win moves Matthew Tipton's side five points clear of Barry Gray's men and also lifts them out of the bottom two going into the festive fixtures.

Understandably edgy, the first effort of note didn't arrive until just after a quarter-of-an-hour had elapsed when Shea Conaty produced a good stop from Conor Mitchell while, at the other end, Greg Moorhouse sent an effort off target from outside the box.

'Point crafted a couple of further chances when Thomas Maguire blazed the ball wide with Luke Wade-Slater then off target with a header.

Portadown had a massive chance around the half-hour mark when Lee Bonis got on the end of an Adam Salley cross but his header back across goal was cleared off the line by Daniel Byrne.

Bonis came close again after the break when he beat Mitchell from a Reece Jordan through ball but the ball went just a little too high.

Mitchell then denied Bonis once again with a finger tip save to turn a free-kick around an upright but, just a couple of minutes after that, the deadlock was eventually broken when Salley latched onto a Bonis flick to knock the ball past Mitchell at the second attempt.

The Ports were struck a blow ten minutes later when Paul Finnegan was dismissed following a rash challenge on Luke Gallagher but the home side failed to take advantage and, indeed almost fell further behind in the closing stages only for Mitchell to save with his feet to deny Bonis once more.

Warrenpoint Town: Mitchell, Dillon, O'Sullivan, Gallagher, Wade Slater, Moorhouse, Maguire, Hutchinson, Leddy, Byrne, Lennon subs Coleman (not used), McCaffrey (not used), Mullen (replaced Hutchinson 52), Quinn (not used), Shotayo (replaced Maguire 87), Haughey (not used)

Portadown: Barr, Hall, Ruddy, Finnegan, McKeown, Salley, Bonis, Conaty, S. Teggart, McLeod, Jordan subs Doherty (not used), Lavery (replaced Conaty 88), Tipton (replaced Salley 70), Warde (not used), Glenfield (not used), Murphy (not used), E. Teggart (not used)