Glenavon 0 Portadown 1
Portadown goalscorer Ryan Mayse
Portadown's Ryan Mayse celebrates scoring against Glenavon
Can lightening striker twice for Portadown in the League Cup?
The Ports defied the odds in winning the trophy as a Championship club back in 2009 and now they stand one step away from producing what would be an ever greater shock.
Ryan Mayse’s 27th minute penalty was enough to give the Shamrock Park men a 1-0 win over local rivals Glenavon to send them into a March 10 decider against Linfield.
Having taken three Premiership scalps already Niall Currie will fancy his chances of taking a fourth.
The signs of what was at stake in the game were there from the start. A hectic pace, strong tackles and a feistiness that comes with the territory of a local derby – and increases in intensity when it’s a Cup semi-final – was very much in evidence more so than attractive football.
That didn’t matter to the crowd that filled Mourneview Park, craving the excitement of derby action that is denied them in the league at present with the two teams a league apart.
Gradually though things did start to settle – although there was still no quarter asked when it came to challenges – and chances came.
Only a heavy touch from Mayse that took away his angle for a shot, prevented Portadown from having the first meaningful opportunity after 11 minutes at the end of a slick move that sent Mark Russell away on the left before delivering a low cross.
A looping header from Danny Wallace, who had got free of his marker to meet James Doona’s free kick four minutes later, had the Glenavon fans behind the goal ready to celebrate only for the ball to drop just the wrong side of the post.
Portadown players celebrate their win with the club's
Read on belfasttelegraph.co.uk