It was a day to forget for Crusaders as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at the feet of Portadown in todays Sports Direct Premiership game at Seaview. Crusaders where second best for large parts of the game and Portadown took advantage with one first half goal and second half goals leaving Declan Caddell with his heaviest defeat to date.
Both sides where evenly matched early on and Crusaders where unlucky not to go ahead when Kieran Offord twisted and turned but his shot went inches wide. Not long after Harry Franklin went close but his header but it went over and Portadown then nearly scored but Johnny Tuffey pulled off a good save. Johnny Tuffey was called upon again after Joshua Ukek shot nearly crept in at the near post after he danced with ball in the Crusaders box and then unleashed his powerful effort. Portadown did take the lead though on 29 minutes when a ball was put into the path of Ryan Mayse who then went round Johnny Tuffey before scoring from a tight angle. Crusaders tried to hit back and the closest they came before the half time whistle was another Kieran Offord shot that went wide after he had done well to get the space to shoot.
Crusaders came out the second half looking to get back into the game and James Teelan just failed to get a shot away after great control from a beautiful ball by Robbie Weir. Aaron McCarey made a good stop from Ross Clarke. McCarey again was on hand to make another good save from Kieran Offord and on the follow up James Teelan shot wide when he didn't really get a good connection with the ball. The misses came back to haunt Crusaders when Harry Franklin was tackled at the edge of the Portadown box and the visitors made a swift counter attack with Ahu Obhakhan scoring in off the post on 69 minutes. Crusaders where chasing both Portadown and the game by this stage and it got worse on 76 minutes when Lewis MacKinnon scored through Johnny Tuffeys legs after he had palmed Luke Wilsons original shot away. With no way back the game played out with a final score of Crusaders 0 Portadown 3.
A defeat it is and Declan Caddel will look for answers to such a lethargic display. The work starts now though on getting the wrongs tyrned to rights as they now look to next Saturday and the trip to Loughgall.