CLIFTONVILLE EDGE PAST THE PORTS
Cliftonville made it four wins in a row with a narrow victory over Portadown at Shamrock Park.
The Reds got off to a perfect start when, after just three minutes, Ronan Hale turned the ball into the bottom corner of the net after Jamie McDonagh had found him on the edge of the area.
Ryan Curran doubled Cliftonville's lead on 26 minutes with a close range poked finish after Ports keeper Jethren Barr had failed to hold McDonagh's corner.
But, within a minute, the Ports had pulled one back when Jordan Jenkins fired past Nathan Gartside from just inside the box.
And they might have levelled close to the break only for Leo Donnellan to see his effort cleared off the line.
Oisin Conaty also came close just after the hour with a header wide of the target but Cliftonville held on and might well have extended their advantage on several occasions with Sean Moore, Joe Gormley and Curran all threatening.
Portadown: Barr, Akiotu, Upton, Donnellan, Russell, Conaty, Moore, McNally, Teggart, Mashigo, Jenkins subs Tlou (replaced Teggart 72), Beverland (not used), Stedman (replaced Donnellan 78), McKenna (not used), Archer (replaced Mashigo 60), Tantale (not used), Mitchell (replaced Moore 60)
Cliftonville: Gartside, Addis, Gallagher, C. Curran, Rory Hale, R. Curran, McDonagh, Lowe, Doherty, Turner, Ronan Hale subs Talley (not used), Robinson (not used), Traynor (not used), Gormley (replaced McDonagh 60), Casey (replaced Ronan Hale 89), Coates (replaced Rory Hale 85), Moore (replaced Gallagher 60)
Substitution 
Substitution 
