Shield defeat for Thirds whilst Fourths win in cup

Portadown are well placed in the league above South 3rds and showed their class winning 4-1.

Despite their dominance in the scoreline, it was South who struck the first blow with Stephen Hood getting a goal.

In the second half Portadown found a short corner routine that worked and scored and equalizer. Moments later they scored another, also a short corner. Confidence fell knowing they had a lot to do to get back into this game.

It got harder as Portadown scored on the break to take a 3-1 lead. They then rounded off the scoring with another short corner in the final minutes.

South Fourths travelled to Glengormley to face Mossley Fifths in the Minor Cup.

South came out of the blocks slowly in the first half and were unfortunate to concede a freak goal with the ball rebounding off the keeper to a free Mossley man 2 yards out with the net at his mercy.

Conceding this early goal galvanised a young fourth IX side to tighten up at the back but throughout the first half chances were few and far between for either side.

Early in the second half South got the equaliser through Junior, with a deft touch in the D to guide in a Ben Faulkner cross. Ben then got himself a goal as well after a deflection in the D feel kindly to leave him with a fairly easy finish.

This was by no means a one sided game with Mossely having chances of their own.

An open game led to a breakaway goal from Junior again with another Ben assist in déjà vu fashion to his first. This takes Junior’s tally for the season to 23 and allows South to progress to the next round of the Minor Cup.