Cliftonville maintained their charge for a top six finish with a 2-0 win over Portadown at Shamrock Park thanks to goals from Joe Sheridan and captain Rory Hale.
Sheridan fired the visitors in front inside the opening quarter of an hour before Hale made the game safe direct from a free-kick minutes from the end.
Rory Hale was prominent in the early exchanges and came close to breaking the deadlock in the opening quarter of an hour but Alex Moore produced a fine save, diving to his left, to deny the Reds skipper.
The Portadown goalkeeper, however, was powerless to prevent the visitors taking the lead in the 17th minute.
Ryan Curran did brilliantly to hold the ball up before laying into the path of Sheridan, who drilled a low right foot shot low into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area for his fourth league goal of the season.
Sheridan tried his luck again from distance shortly after but blazed over the bar while Cliftonville captain Rory Hale side footed wide from 12 yards after being picked out by a fine pass from the impressive Liam McStravick.
And Moore produced a fine fingertip save to deny Josh Kelly from a Hale free-kick in the closing seconds of a first half in which Portadown failed to trouble Reds keeper Peter Morrison.
The home side were much improved after the break and Divin Isamala should have done better from an Eamon Fyfe cross but he somehow directed his header past the post from close range.
The points were secured five minutes from time in bizarre circumstances as Hale's free-kick from out on the wing was seemingly spilled into his own net by Portadown keeper Moore. The Portadown bench were not convinced the ball had indeed crossed the line but the goal was given.
It's back to back wins for Cliftonville, but three defeats in a row for Portadown.
Image source, Pacemaker
