Portadown held to draw against Ballymena
Portadown looked to make their numerical advantage count after the break
NINE-man Ballymena United held on to claim a point at Shamrock Park after Portadown left it late to rescue a draw in an eventful encounter.
The visitors were reduced to ten men after just 24 minutes when Igor Rutkowski was shown a straight red card following an off-the-ball tussle with Divin Isamala.
However, the Sky Blues responded positively and took the lead two minutes before half-time with an excellent goal on the counter-attack after Chris McKee drove forward from deep inside his own half, skipped past Lewis Mackinnon and fired across Aaron McCarey into the bottom corner.
Portadown looked to make their numerical advantage count after the break, but Ballymena remained organised and continued to frustrate the hosts.
David Walsh dealt comfortably with Jack Scott's long-range effort, while Fuad Sule produced an important block to deny Conor Falls as Portadown struggled to find a way through.
James Teelan also tested the visitors' defence, but his effort from inside the penalty area was straight at Walsh.
The pressure eventually told on 87 minutes. A free-kick was delivered into the penalty area and Isamala headed the ball back across goal for Mikey Hewitt to fire home at the back post.
Ballymena's afternoon deteriorated further in stoppage time when James Hood was dismissed after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession for a foul on Teelan.
Portadown: McCarey, Isamala, Carson, MacKinnon, Chapman, Fyfe, Teelan, Scott, Hewitt, Kennedy, Flanagan subs Barry, Minzamba, Towe, Falls, Jessop, Wells, Martins
Ballymena United: Walsh, Toure, Sule, McKee, Archer, Rutkowski, Clarke, Edogun, McConnell, O'Sullivan, Lyons-Foster subs Breen, Glynn, Allen, McCallion, Murray, Fallon, Hood