Ballinamallard and Portadown share spoils in season curtain

Ballinamallard 2-2 Portadown 

Ballinamallard ended their season with a 2-2 draw against Portadown in the National League on Monday evening.

The Mallards led 1-0 at halftime but the visitors fought back in the second half to earn themselves a draw after going 2-0 down.

The home side made an ideal start to the contest as Portadown goalkeeper Alfie Rogers clumsily took down Adam Cathcart in the box for a spot kick.

Charlie Clendinning stepped up and made it 1-0 after just two minutes.

A second goal almost came just moments later with Rogers making a couple of key saves to deny efforts from Liam Corry and Cathcart.

Ducks goalkeeper James Mills was also called into action at the other end as he scrambled across his goal to push a volley out for a corner.

Conor Ward went agonisingly close to an equaliser just before halftime but his shot sailed just over the crossbar.

It was another fast start to the half for the Mallards with a second goal just four minutes in.

Clendinning’s corner was headed in by Adam Armstrong to land another early blow for Portadown.

However, they found their way back into it as a loose ball on the edge of the box was fizzed towards goal and into the net by Rhys Cook with forwards Sean Corry and Dylan Donnelly then having shots saved.

There were chances at either end before Portadown found the equaliser when the ball was chipped over substitute goalkeeper Alex McClelland for a delightful finish.

McClelland made a great low save to keep it at 2-2 before the away side were reduced to ten men after a red card for an off-the-ball incident.

Ballinamallard tried to make use of the man advantage in the final few moments as Donnelly made a marauding run down the wing band then cut it back for Liam Corry whose shot was just tipped past the post by Rogers.

Both sides settled for a draw in the end to conclude their seasons.