Portadown maintain perfect season cup record as Zach Barr brace secures Irish Cup quarter-final spot with victory over Bangor

Portadown’s unbeaten run in cup competitions this season continued as Zach Barr’s brace helped seal an Irish Cup quarter-final berth with a 2-1 victory over fellow Championship side Bangor at Shamrock Park. Here’s the story of the game...

Team news:

PORTADOWN: Hogg, D Wilson, Diau, Chapman, Mayse, Kane, Fyfe, Henderson, Traynor, Barr, Murray.

Subs: Buchanan, Redman, McCawl, Russell, Montgomery, Thompson, Browne.

BANGOR: Taylor, Beverland, Harrison, Arthurs, McArthur, R Neale, Walker, Mathieson, Francis, Hume, Mulvenna.

Subs: Orbinson, Craig, Gray, Neale, Cushnie, Watterson, Foster.

Referee: Keith Kennedy.

FIRST HALF

6: GOAL – PORTADOWN 1 (ZACH BARR) – 0 Bangor – Dream start for Portadown as Zach Barr swivels on a shot and sends it into James Taylor’s bottom corner. His third goal since signing in January.

13: Ben Walker talks a shot from distance which Aaron Hogg is able to comfortably smother.

15: Ryan Mayse’s cross lands perfectly on the head of Zach Barr, who looks like he’s about to double Portadown’s lead from two yards out, but he’s denied by a superb reaction save from James Taylor.

19: GOAL – Portadown 1 – 1 BANGOR (BEN ARTHURS) – Four minutes after Portadown almost double their advantage, Ben Arthurs heads in from Tiarnan Mulvenna’s corner to put the visitors back on level terms.

45: Howard Beverland is booked for dragging back Ryan Mayse as he tried to chase the ball, which looked to be harmlessly going out for a throw-in. Mayse’s free-kick sails over the crossbar.

45+2: Beverland makes a crucial block from a Mayse volley in the box seconds before half-time.

HALF TIME: Portadown 1 – 1 Bangor.

SECOND HALF

46: Portadown manager Niall Currie has made one change at half-time with Gary Thompson replacing TJ Murray.

55: Bangor’s Ben Walker booked for a challenge on former Seasiders midfielder Jack Henderson.

59: Ben Arthurs finds space in behind, drives into the box but fires his shot wide with Brandon Diau doing enough to narrow the angle.

61: Another change for Portadown as Eamon Fyfe is replaced by Mark Russell. Jack Henderson was booked seconds before for a foul.

62: Kenny Kane does well not to turn the ball into his own net under pressure after Ben Arthurs pulled it back into the box from the free-kick.

67: Superb driving run from Tiarnan Mulvenna down Bangor’s left and he finds Scott McArthur with space in the box, but his shot doesn’t trouble goalkeeper Aaron Hogg.

70: Zach Barr is played in after a Portadown counter and the angle for his shot is narrowed by James Taylor. Ball goes out for a corner and Barr then heads wide following a well-worked corner routine.

79: GOAL: PORTADOWN 2 (ZACH BARR) – 1 Bangor – Barr gets his – and Portadown’s – second by heading home from Gary Thompson’s cross.

79: Another Portadown change with Jamie Browne coming on in place of Kenny Kane. Bangor make one too as Ben Cushine replaces Ben Walker.

84: Reece Neale produces a wicked cross which all Portadown defenders do well not to turn into their own net. Another Bangor sub as Tom Mathieson is replaced by Charley Craig.

88: Zach Barr – on a hat-trick – is unselfish as he squares the ball to Ryan Mayse but his shot from inside the box blazes over the crossbar.

90: Five minutes added on.

FULL TIME: Portadown 2 – 1 Bangor.