Football: Ports make Hay

Portadown 3 Crusaders 2

Portadown are back on top of the table as Crusaders watch their championship crown slipping further away.

Goals from Billy Woods, Colm Tresson and Garry Haylock gave the Shamrock Park side victory over the reigning champions.

And the Yuletide greetings weren't any more cheerful for the Seaview side . . . for fullback Robbie Lawlor was sent off after an exchange with a linesman as the teams marched off at half time.

Lawlor and several other Crusaders - complaining for offside - were seething that referee Frank McDonald allowed Portadown's second goal to stand, fullback Tresson heading home a Robert Casey shot that thumped off the upright.

The incident was the almost inevitable end to a bad tempered first half that saw four other players booked.

The bad lads were Peter Hutton, Portadown's pounds 30,000 signing from Derry City, Gregg Davidson - just back from a one-match ban - and two Crues players, Alan Dornan and Kirk Hunter who were substituted by Mick Deegan in 28 minutes.

Two up at half time, Ports suddenly found themselves level with ten-man Crues staging a marvellous fight back that brought them two goals in a minute from Glenn Dunlop and Brian Russell.

A partial power failure matched Portadown's form at this stage. But full power was restored - to the lights and Portadown's League championship challenge - with centre forward Haylock scoring the winner with a 30-yard left foot shot.

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