Match Centre

Premiership
Friday 24 February 2023 (kick off: 7.45 PM)

Venue: Shamrock Park

Attendance: 859

Referee: Lee Tavinder

Portadown home-team
3 FT 1
away-team Dungannon Swifts
  •   Paul McElroy 5' 62' 89' (pen)
  •   Ethan McGee 57'
football
Paul McElroy celebrates opening the scoring ©David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press

McELROY HAT-TRICK GUIDES PORTS TO CRUCIAL VICTORY

Paul McElroy was the hat-trick hero for Portadown as they swept to a hugely significant victory over Dungannon Swifts at Shamrock Park.

The Ports got off to a dream start when, after just five minutes, McElroy opened the scoring after turning to fire low past keeper Declan Dunne.

McElroy might have doubled Portadown's lead moments later only to strike an upright after receiving the ball from Eoghan McCawl.

Portadown continued to dominate, and came close again when Stephen Teggart was denied only by a Cahal McGinty block while McElroy had another effort a few minutes after that kept out by Dunne.

Niall Currie's side hit the woodwork for a second time after Teggart fired against the far post from the left side of the area.

The Swifts might have levelled midway through the first half, however, when Michael O'Connor had a go from 40 yards only to see his chipped effort fall just wide.

But the Ports came close to adding a second just before the break only for Dunne to produce a great low save to thwart Teggart after he had been teed up by Alberto Balde.

Dungannon came out after the break determined to bag the equaliser, and almost managed it when O'Connor tested Mastny from distance followed by a Rhyss Campbell effort from inside the box that went narrowly wide.

The visitors did get their leveller on 57 minutes. Campbell did well to get past Christopher Rodgers in the box before delivering a low cross for McGee to knock home.

However Portadown hit back just five minutes after that to regain the lead with McElroy's second of the night, a finish past Dunne from an acute angle.

McElroy then made sure of the points with his third of the evening on 89 minutes, converting from the spot after he had been upended by Caolin Coyle.

Portadown: Mastny, Upton, Wilson, Russell, McKeown, Chapman, Teggart, Rodgers, McCawl, Friel, McElroy subs Barr, Balde, Stedman, Jordan, Igiehon, Walker, O'Sullivan

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, Knowles, O'Connor, Campbell, McGinty, Walsh, Ruddy, McGee, Jenkins, Animasahun, Bruna subs Nelson, Coyle, Mayse, McCready, Curry, Smith, Moore

  • FULL TIME
    Portadown   3 - 1 Dungannon Swifts
  • PENALTY SCORED

    Paul McElroy

    Portadown

    89'
  •  Yellow Card

    James Knowles

    Dungannon Swifts

    88'
  • red subsititutions  Substitution

    Rhyss Campbell

    Coleraine

    83'
  • red subsititutions  Substitution

    Cahal McGinty

    Dungannon Swifts

    83'
  • green subsititutions  Substitution

    Joe McCready

    Limavady United

    83'
  • green subsititutions  Substitution

    Joseph Moore

    Ballymena United

    83'
  •  Yellow Card

    Mark Russell

    Players

    82'
  • red subsititutions  Substitution

    Cathair Friel

    Portadown

    76'
  • green subsititutions  Substitution

    Alan O'Sullivan

    Players

    76'
  •  Yellow Card

    Rhyss Campbell

    Coleraine

    74'
  •  Yellow Card

    Cahal McGinty

    Dungannon Swifts

    69'
  • red subsititutions  Substitution

    Marc Walsh

    Dergview

    68'
  • green subsititutions  Substitution

    Ryan Mayse

    Portadown

    68'
  • GOAL

    Paul McElroy

    Portadown

    62'
  • GOAL

    Ethan McGee

    Linfield

    57'
  • red subsititutions  Substitution

    Alberto Balde

    Loughgall

    56'
  • green subsititutions  Substitution

    Billy Stedman

    Players

    56'
  • red subsititutions  Substitution

    Mayowa Animasahun

    Players

    46'
  • green subsititutions  Substitution

    Dean Curry

    Dungannon Swifts

    46'
  • red subsititutions  Substitution

    Gerardo Bruna

    Players

    43'
  • green subsititutions  Substitution

    Caolin Coyle

    Players

    43'
  • red subsititutions  Substitution

    Luke Wilson

    Portadown

    30'
  • green subsititutions  Substitution

    Alberto Balde

    Loughgall

    30'
  •  Yellow Card

    Lee Upton

    Annagh United

    19'
  • GOAL

    Paul McElroy

    Portadown

    5'

Portadown

  • OndÅ™ej Mastný
  • Lee Upton 19'
  • Luke Wilson red substitution 30'
  • Mark Russell 82'
  • Barney McKeown (1)
  • Lee Chapman
  • Stephen Teggart
  • Christopher Rodgers
  • Eoghan McCawl
  • Cathair Friel red substitution 76'
  • Paul McElroy 5' 62' 89'

Substitutes

  • Jethren Barr
  • Alberto Balde green substitution 30' red substitution 56'
  • Billy Stedman green substitution 56'
  • Reece Jordan
  • Benny Igiehon
  • Matthew Walker
  • Alan O'Sullivan green substitution 76'

Dungannon Swifts

  • Declan Dunne
  • James Knowles 88'
  • Michael O'Connor (1)
  • Rhyss Campbell 74' red substitution 83'
  • Cahal McGinty 69' red substitution 83'
  • Marc Walsh red substitution 68'
  • Michael Ruddy
  • Ethan McGee 57'
  • Jordan Jenkins
  • Mayowa Animasahun red substitution 46'
  • Gerardo Bruna red substitution 43'

Substitutes

  • Dwayne Nelson
  • Caolin Coyle green substitution 43'
  • Ryan Mayse green substitution 68'
  • Joe McCready green substitution 83'
  • Dean Curry green substitution 46'
  • Corey Smith
  • Joseph Moore green substitution 83'
© Jonathan Porter/INPHO

Portadown

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Dungannon Swifts

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