Larne held to draw by Portadown in league game

Larne missed the opportunity to make inroads into Linfield's lead at the top of the Irish Premiership table as they drew 1-1 with Portadown at Inver Park in the only league fixture of the day.

Both goals came within a three-minute spell in the second half with Andy Ryan's opener for the champions cancelled out by Steven McCullough's equaliser.

The draw keeps Portadown, who had lost four of their previous five top flight outings, in fourth position in the standings.

Larne remain in sixth place, still some 24 points behind leaders Linfield, albeit with six games fewer played.

In a quiet first half, Ryan had an effort chalked off for offside following a quickly-taken free kick.

Larne had an opening when Portadown's offside trap failed from a Mark Randall free-kick but Ports keeper Aaron McCarey was able to dive to his left to comfortably save Tiarnan O'Connor's header.

Larne almost took the lead in the first 60 seconds of the second half when Tomas Cosgrove's cross from the right was met with a powerful header by Sean Graham but McCarey dived to push the effort away before it was scrambled clear.

Substitute Ben Wylie had a shot narrowly deflected wide for Portadown before another Graham header from a Cosgrove cross looped onto the crossbar before being cleared.

But the deadlock was eventually broken on 73 minutes when Dylan Sloan got to the bye-line before brilliantly cutting back a cross which was met by the in-rushing Ryan, whose effort looped over McCarey and into the net.

However, Larne's lead lasted a mere three minutes as Rabby Minzamba's low cross from the right was met by Lewis MacKinnon, whose goalbound effort was blocked but the rebound fell favourably for Steven McCullough to lash home a right-footed shot from inside the penalty area

Larne will play the next of their games in hand on Tuesday night as they make the short journey to Taylors Avenue to face neighbours Carrick Rangers.