Coleraine remain top after win at Portadown

It's not a game that will live long in the memory but that won't bother anyone of a Coleraine persuasion this Sunday morning.

In difficult conditions and against stubborn opponents, Ruaidhri Higgins' side banked their ninth win of the campaign with a hard earned 2-0 win at Portadown on Saturday.

They were helped by the sending off in added time at the end of the first half of Portadown goalkeeper Aaron McCarey.

The big keeper did well initially to collect the ball under pressure from Matthew Shevlin but inexplicably appeared to retaliate towards the Coleraine striker.

Referee Declan Hassan reached for his red card and McCarey was off.

With no substitute keeper on the bench, former Coleraine forward Eamon Fyfe donned the keeper's jersey for the remainder of the game.

He did well in the early stages of the second half to deny the visitors on a number of occasions but he was eventually beaten just after the hour mark.

Levi Ives swung a dangerous corner into the heart of the Portadown defence where an unmarked Shevlin headed home from close range for his sixth goal of the season.

Twelve minutes later the Bannsiders doubled their lead in similar circumstances.

Another Ives corner wasn't dealt with by the home defence and when the ball fell at the feet of Joel Cooper he swept home his seventh of the season.

Down to 10 men and with their main striker in nets it was always going to be an uphill task for Niall Currie's team to get back into the game.

And so it proved as Coleraine saw out the remainder of the game to pick up another three points which sees them remain top of the Sports Direct Premiership.

Nearest challengers Glentoran needed two late goals to overcome Crusaders at Seaview but Larne dropped two points as they were held at home by Bangor.

Linfield, in fourth place, accounted for Ballymena United 2-0 at Windsor Park.

The Blues travel to Coleraine on Tuesday evening for a rearranged league fixture.