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Glentoran 1 - 0 Portadown

Andy Waterworth scored the only goal of a disappointing game but Glentoran fans won't worry about the quality too much, just the fact that they had knocked out the team who denied them at this stage last season.

Portadown had the first of very few chances on goal in the early stages when Ross Redman's free-kick found Richard Leckey but his header was saved by Elliott Morris who was back in the Glentoran goal in favour of James Taylor.

Daryl Fordyce had a half chance for Glentoran soon after, following good play by Gary Hamilton but aside from that there was very little in the way of goalmouth action.

That suddenly changed on 20 minutes thanks to a moment of magic from Waterworth.

There seemed to be little danger, even after Waterworth had turned Redman superbly, but having raced towards goal unchallenged he let fly with a great strike from the edge of the box at an angle and into the bottom right hand corner beyond the despairing dive of David Miskelly.

Struggling

Portadown were without Kevin Braniff and Keith O'Hara who were both suspended and the injured Wesley Boyle, and this was evident as the Ports were struggling to muster a concerted amount of pressure on the Glens' goal.

Glentoran were seeing most of the ball but weren't really creating a lot although Hamilton came close with a well-struck free-kick on 28 minutes, his effort going just over.

Fordyce then had a shot on 20 minutes which was easily saved by Miskelly.

While Portadown weren't in the game, they almost grabbed an unlikely equaliser just before half time.

Sean Mackle was left unmarked and raced onto a throughball leaving himself with only Morris to beat, however the keeper saved well with his legs to keep the Glens in front.

Portadown were a bit better in the second half but showed little to suggest that the Glens were going to have any problems in progressing to the showpiece final.

Indeed Hamilton almost doubled the Glens advantage on 62 minutes when, akin to Waterworth earlier, he turned the Ports defence brilliantly, though they put up more of a challenge this time and the striker was forced wide before striking wide.

Tim Mouncey then missed a good chance for Portadown as the ball fell to him six yards out but he completely miscued his effort.

John Convery then came close with a rising header that Morris did well to get down and save as the Ports finally put some pressure on.

Darren Kelly struck well from distance deep into injury time which Morris saved well but they couldn't do enough to gain an equaliser and the Glens went through to play the winners of the other semi-final clash between Coleraine and Dungannon Swifts at the Oval.

Speaking after the match, Glentoran manager Alan McDonald praised his team's defence.

"Portadown really came out in the second half and at certain times we had to defend pretty deep, but the lads stuck at it and dug in," he told UTV.

"Elliot made a very good save there right at the death which was very good for him because it came through a bunch of players."

"Portadown through a lot of pressure at us, and thankfully we defended better tonight than we did on Saturday."

© UTV News