3‑2 defeat leaves Portadown still winless

On Saturday, Portadown lost 3‑2 to Crusaders at Seaview. The match saw the Ports reduced to 10 men after Finn Flanagan received a second yellow card in the 39th minute. Portadown were 2‑0 down at half‑time before Adam Brooks’ first‑half double and a hat‑trick from Crusaders’ striker gave the hosts a comfortable lead. Baris Altintop and Eamon Fyfe scored for Portadown, but the hosts could not keep the game level and Crusaders sealed the win in the final 30 minutes.

Manager’s reaction

Former Linfield chief David Jeffrey said the team were “down but a long way from being out” after the loss. He praised the players’ resilience after being a man down and a goal behind, but warned that the club still had “basics” to improve. “The response to going down to 10 men and being two goals down in the second half deserved something more than what we got,” Jeffrey told the club’s media channel.

He highlighted that the two goals conceded were not single mistakes but “three occasions where we didn’t do what we should have done.” He added that the players were frustrated but that the club would analyse the goals and learn quickly. “We look forward to the game against Coleraine on Friday evening,” he said.

Current league position

Portadown are one of three Premiership teams without a point, alongside Bangor and Limavady United. The club’s next fixture is a home match against league leaders Coleraine at Shamrock Park on Friday evening.

Looking ahead

Jeffrey said the club had undergone “quite a bit of rebuilding” and that new players were still learning. He stressed that the team would focus on improving fundamentals while keeping the optimism that the club can still climb the table. The Ports will need to turn the lessons from the Crusaders defeat into results if they are to escape the bottom of the table.

Upcoming match

Portadown’s next challenge is a home fixture against Coleraine on Friday evening at Shamrock Park. The club will aim to build on the fight shown against Crusaders and secure a first point in the Premiership.