Portadown and Glentoran Legends XI’s met at Ulidia Playing Fields on the Ormeau Road last Sunday afternoon. The match was arranged as a warm-up for both sides ahead of the upcoming Belfast Cup on Sunday August 30 when they will face the Manchester United and Liverpool Legends.

The Portadown legends side was full of household names from their glory years of the late 80s and early 90s such as Mickey Keenan, Brain Strain, Philip Major, Gregg Davidson, Robert Casey, Neil Candlish and Trevor Williamson. As for their Glentoran counterparts, it had many of the regulars missing through injury and other commitments, such as Darren Parker, Pete Batey, John Devine, Gary Smyth and Justin McBride. Others like Jim Cleary, Barney Bowers and Billy Caskey opted to let the younger lads do their stuff.

Making his first appearance for the Glentoran Legends was goalkeeper, Neil Armstrong, who ironically was on the Portadown subs bench for the Carling Premiership game the previous day Saturday.

As for the match itself, it proved to be as tight a game as any from 20 years ago with both teams missing many chances, although Neil Armstrong was the busier of the keepers. It was Portadown who took the lead with five minutes of the half remaining. The Glentoran Legends got caught pushing forward and Michael Surgeon latched unto a through ball before slipping the ball home under the dive of Armstrong.

At the break, the Glens opted to make a few positional changes, leaving three at the back, with Tom Cleland pushing forward. Ten minutes after the restart, the move paid off as Portadown dropped their guard to allow former favourite of both clubs, Gary Blackledge, a half chance which he buried into the bottom corner. An injury to Raymond Morrison saw young Ross Glendinning, come off the bench for an unfamiliar outfield role. However, he played his part well in the second Glens goal when he controlled a Gary Hillis through ball before crossing low into the box for Blackledge to again show his prowess and get in front of Gregg Davidson to poke the ball under Keenan.

With only five minutes remaining it looked like this would be the winner but Portadown had other ideas and almost from the kick off they mounted an attack which the Glens failed to clear properly and as the ball came across the box , Neil Candlish, newly appointed Ports Reserve team coach, managed to touch the ball home from six yards to make it 2-2.

With time running out Colin Telford made up for his earlier misses with a terrific lob over the advancing Keenan to make it 3-2. However, the action had not finished as Portadown mounted one final attack and somehow Neil Armstrong managed to spread his body and block the ball, just as it looked as though Candlish was in for his second goal. The Glentoran and Portadown Legends now look forward to the Legends XI Belfast Cup. Kicking off at 11:30am on Sunday August 30 at The Oval the day-long tournament will see some of the all-time greats face off in what is sure to be a family day!

Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster.co.uk