PORTS GET PAST VILLAGERS TO REACH SEMIS
Portadown progressed to the semi-finals of the BetMcLean Cup with a two-goal defeat of Loughgall at Shamrock Park.
Although neither side managed to find the net in the first half both did have their chances.
Loughgall started the brightest with a Jordan Gibson effort blocked followed soon after by a Tiernan Kelly attempt that failed to hit the target.
For the Ports Mark Russell failed to trouble Berratt Turker from distance, but the visiting keeper was made sweat a few minutes after that when Kenny Kane attempted to lob him from 30 yards following a poor clearance only for the ball to drift wide.
Gibson then turned the ball into the side netting late in the first half but a superb reaction save from home keeper Gareth Buchanan kept the sides level not long after the break when he turned a wayward clearance by Eoghan McCawl onto the crossbar.
Indeed, the Villagers continued to press for the opening goal, coming close again when Jamie Rea and Benji Magee combined for the latter to drag wide from close range.
The deadlock was broken, however, on 68 minutes after Sam Cochrane laid the ball off for McCawl to show great composure and fire past Turker from close range.
Loughgall were reduced to ten men soon after when Alberto Balde was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Dale Montgomery but, not long after that, the Ports also lost a man following Aaron Traynor's second caution of the evening for a foul on Aaron Duke.
But Portadown made sure of their place in the last four when Eamon Fyfe got on the end of a long ball forward to calmly beat Turker.
Portadown: Buchanan, Coyle, Wilson, McCawl, Russell, Kane, Fyfe, Montgomery, Traynor, Bradley, Thompson subs Hogg, Redman, Cochrane, Williamson, McKay, Somerville, Burns
Loughgall: Turker, Rea, Kelly, Andrade, Teggart, Ferris, Gibson, Cartwright, Balde, Carroll, Magee subs Devine, Murdock, Brogan, Hoey, Norton, Boyd, Duke
Substitution 
Substitution 
