Portadown's dreams of a last-gasp run into the top six remained on track at the Showgrounds as they easily ran past a Ballymena United team running out of puff in the league.
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Ballymena Utd 0 - 1 Portadown
The Ports started like a house on fire and raced into the lead with just four minutes on the clock, with a superbly taken effort by Richard Clarke - a goal that was enough to settle the encounter and keep Ronnie McFall's men breathing down the neck of sixth place.
Owen Morrison's corner led to a scramble in the United box and they only managed to get it clear as far as the edge of the box where Clarke picked it up and rattled it into the net past Dwayne Nelson.
The home side thought they had got back on level terms in the ninth minute when Aidan Watson's cross found Michael Smith in the box and he headed home only to have his celebrations cut short by the assistant linesman's flag.
Portadown continued to press and Keith O'Hara curled a left-foot shot just wide of the mark when he burst into the box, while Kevin Braniff flashed a free-kick narrowly past the far post.
United rarely threatened in the opening half, Aidan Watson and Gary Haveron both firing over from long range while Haveron gave David Miskelly his only action of the half when he got in at the back post to get on the end of Gary Muir's corner but he saved comfortably.
McFall's men started the second-half brightly and again Morrison was the provider, his cross finding an unmarked Tim Mouncey in the box but it was a comfortable save for Nelson.
Michael Smith screwed a shot wide in the 58th minute before the Ports spurned a glorious chance to double their advantage just past the hour.
Jordan Baker was the culprit who looked to have been gifted a goal when Tim Mouncey's mis-hit shot landed at his feet with Nelson stranded but his first effort was blocked by Aaron Stewart and from the rebound he somehow managed to knock the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.
The second-half huffed and puffed, but never threatened to bring the house down, with the only real action coming in the 84th minute when Andy Smith was brought tumbling to the ground by Ross Redman.
The young defender's tackle was rash and ill-timed, catching Smith's standing leg as he flicked the ball past him but perhaps a yellow card rather than the red referee Raymond Hetherington produced would have sufficed.
The numerical advantage lifted United briefly, David Cushley bringing a fine save out of Miskelly and then the keeper blocking Kevin Kelbie's late effort with his legs, but the stops ensured the Ports kept the points they fully merited.
Ballymena United: Nelson, Ramsey, Stewart, Haveron, Surgenor (Cushley 69), Watson (Colligan 45) M. Smith, Anderson (McLaughlin 69), A. Smith, Kelbie, Muir: Subs not used: McVeigh, Lemon
Portadown: Miskelly, O'Hara, Redman, Clarke, Hunter, Kelly, Baker, Morrison (McCluskey 83), Braniff, Teggart (Leckey 81), Mouncey. Subs not used: Armstrong, McCullough, Topley.
Referee: Raymond Hetherington (Dungannon)
© UTV News