Ports fall to biggest defeat of the season

The Ports boss said: “Goals change games, and I think if you look at all four goals today they are atrocious, absolutely shocking, you would be hard to find them at kids’level never mind anything else. We were missing a few players today, Lewis and Baris were a big loss to us and obviously Gary Thompson a huge loss, but it gives other players opportunities,and I am more disappointed that we didn’t grasp the nettle today.”

It was a performance which left the Ports management and fans frustrated as the hunt for seventh place became all the more difficult. As Currie bemoaned, “I think we carried seven players today, there’s only two or three players can come out of the game with any decent credit. There is no excuse for that today.”

It took the home side just seventeen minutes to break the deadlock, when indecisiveness in the Ports fence gave Joe Crowe an easy tap in from O’Brien’s in-swinging corner, which they failed to deal with at the back post.

It took just five minutes for the lead to be doubled when a long kick out from keeper Ross

Glendinning, saw Steven McCullough easily knocked off the ball by Gibson and he strode forward onto the Ports box before picking his spot in the far corner.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors on thirty-eight minutes when Aaron Traynor was disposed in the centre circle by Gibson after he appeared to push Ukek before bundling Traynor over. Gibson carried the ball forward and lost Isamala in the box before being upended by Williamson.

Gibson shook himself down and calmly slide home the third goal from the spot.

Three minutes from the break Portadown reduced the deficit when Ukek rose at the near post to head home from Wylie’s corner kick.

After the interval Fyfe had a great opportunity to bring the Ports right back into the game but he headed over from Wylie’s deep corner. The game was put to bed however just a couple of minutes later when the defence failed to deal with the strength of Albert Watson and the Carrick defender lobbed the ball over the onrushing Williamson.

The only bright spot for Portadown was the debut of seventeen-year-old Damian Traczykowski for the last fifteen minutes.

Currie had no concerns giving the youngster a runout: “We’ve had him training with us for quite a few months now and we were actually surprised at how he has fitted in, no problem. He hasn’t looked out of place in one iota, technically very good, very comfortable with the ball. His physique for a seventeen-year-old is unbelievable… He’s got a lot of attributes going for him and he’s the type of kid we want to bring through.”

Carrick Rangers: Ross Glendinning, Forsythe, Watson, Maciulaitis, Crowe (Buchanan-Rolleston), Cherry (Allen), Reece Glendinning (Cushley), Gibson, O’Brien, O,Reilly (Hastings), O’Malley. Unused Subs: McIntyre, Webb, Forbes

Portadown: Williamson, Chapman, McCullough, Isamala, Traynor (McElroy), McCartan, Minzamba (McCawl), Ukek, Obhakhan(D Wilson), Fyfe(Mayse), Wylie (Traczykowski). Unused Subs: Wright, Teelan