Football: Vintage Vinny

IRISH League Premier Division champions Portadown snatched an improbable draw at the Riverside Stadium in Derry yesterday when they earned a share of the points thanks to a Vinny Arkin hat-trick.

Trailing by two goals with just twelve minutes left to play, Portadown, already depleted by the first half sending off of centre half Neil Ogden, showed just why they're the reigning champions when they snatched a draw in the most unlikely of circumstances.

"We came here looking for all three points, but we showed great character to come back from the dead," said Port's boss Ronnie McFall.

Institute gradually settled into the pace of the game and took the lead in the 10th minute.

Stuart Bratton saw his shot blocked by right back Stephen Douglas but the ball came back to Bratton whose low pass through the centre of the Portadown defence was hammered into the net by Stephen Parkhouse.

Ten minutes later however the champions were back on level terms when Douglas' deflected shot came to Arkins who gave keeper Connolly no chance from close range.

Back came Institute and they regained the lead in the twenty- sixth minute.

Parkhouse, in a central position, passed the ball to Michael Hegarty on the right and Alan Blair timed his run to the far post to perfection to side foot Hegarty's cross past keeper David Wells. Nine minutes later Portadown found themselves another goal down as well as a man in arrears.

Neil Ogden and Bratton both tussled for Willie Patterson's high ball into the penalty area and when Bratton fell to the ground, referee David Best instantly showed Ogden the red card and awarded Institute a penalty.

Left back Patterson calmly drilled his left foot penalty shot into the net.

Still trailing 3-1 with twelve minutes to play, Portadown were awarded a penalty when Institute captain Graeme Philson upended Arkins inside the penalty area.

Arkins picked himself up and coolly stroked his penalty kick past goalkeeper JohnConnolly.

That goal seemed to press the panic button in the Institute midfield and defence as 10 men Portadown relentlessly pressed forward in search of an equaliser.

That search ended in the eighty-eighth minute and again Arkins was the scorer.

A lapse in concentration by the Institute back four allowed Arkins to create space just insided the penalty area and Portadown's striker supreme punished the home side with a 12- yard, right foot strike.

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