Second-half strikes give Ballymena win over Ports

Irish Premiership Ballymena United 2 - 0 Portadown FT Ballymena United secured just their second league win of the season and their first since the opening day with a hard earned 2-0 home victory over Portadown. Finley Thorndike broke the deadlock just after the hour with his first goal of the season before top scorer Igor Rutkowski doubled their advantage eight minutes from the end. Portadown had their chances, especially in the first half, but were denied by a number of fine stops from David Walsh in the home goal. The result meant it was an unhappy return to the Showgrounds for former Ballymena Utd boss David Jeffrey who is still searching for a first win as manager of the Shamrock Park club. The visitors created the better chances in the opening 45 minutes. First, Sean O'Mahoney, playing as a lone striker, should have done better when presented with an opportunity by Finn Flanagan but he screwed his right foot shot the wrong side of the post when well placed. Walsh was the busier of the two goalkeepers and he twice denied Portadown with instinctive saves. First, he dived smartly to his left to deny Divin Isamala who got on the end of a deep Matthew Carson free-kick, before he somehow managed to save Baris Altintop's header at the second attempt from a Ben Kennedy corner. At the other end Aaron McCarey had to be alert to turn away a goal bound Caoimhin McConnell effort from just outside the penalty area in the home side's best attack of the first half. But the Portadown keeper was powerless to prevent the hosts from breaking the deadlock just after the hour. There appeared to be little on when former Crusaders midfielder Thorndike took possession of the ball just inside the Portadown penalty area. However, a quick sidestep created the room for a shot which he curled delightfully into the top corner of the net past the despairing dive of the goalkeeper for his first league goal of the season. Ballymena doubled their cushion eight minutes from full-time thanks to another moment of quality, this time from leading goalscorer Rutkowski. The striker exchanged passes with Sean Murray just inside the penalty area before picking his spot and angling his shot past McCarey for his fourth Premiership goal of the season to make the game safe.