PORT Glasgow's Battery Park woes continued on Saturday with this defeat.

Since the temporary move to the new venue while Ravenscraig Stadium is refurbished, they have now lost all three matches played at the Battery, and have yet to score a goal there.

It looked like neither side would find the net in this dour struggle, but Johnstone Burgh struck twice late on to leave the Port in second bottom place in the league table.

Port Glasgow had a much better first half, the first attempt at goal coming after nine minutes from Scott Nugent, whose low shot from outside the box flew narrowly past the post.

They did have the ball in the net on the 20-minute mark, when Barri Stanton headed home from a Jack Docherty cross. But as the Port players celebrated, the strike was chalked off for offside by referee David Dunne in what appeared to be a tight decision.

A Kevin McCann header then went just wide, while at the other end the Burgh's first real attempt at goal came after 36 minutes, when a drive from Neil Dinnen was comfortably saved by Bryan Tucker in the Port goal.

As the second half progressed, the visitors began to pose more of a threat, and Dinnen almost put them ahead on 57 minutes with a delicate lob which beat Tucker but went inches past.

But shortly afterwards, Docherty, had the chance to put the Port in front when he was allowed to run through on goal from a suspiciously offside position, but the young striker's shot trundled wide.

A Nugent pile-driver was then parried by Burgh keeper Patrick Docherty, and the match looked destined to finish goalless.

But the visitors took the lead on 77 minutes, when a cross from the right wing was headed home by Grant Kelly.

With six minutes remaining Docherty could have equalised when he again had a clear run through on goal, but this time his shot was blocked by the legs of his namesake Patrick in the Burgh goal.

And a few minutes later Johnstone sealed their victory. A quickly taken free kick caught the Port defence napping, with only Alan Bryce sensing the danger. But he could not stop Dinnen from sending over a cross, from which Burgh sub Colin Smith fired home.

Port boss Brown said: "It was a stuffy game, which could have gone either way. There is no disguising it was a poor result for us, but there is a lot of football to be played yet in this league.'' Port Glasgow: Tucker, Bryce, Mullin (Beckley 79), P. Stanton, McGarrigle, K. McKay, McCann (McEwan 79), Power (Brown 83), Nugent, Docherty, B. Stanton. Subs not used: Wilson, F. McKay, Kidd.

Port Glasgow Juniors are sponsored by 5 Star Plasterers, EMG Construction (Ltd.), and WJ.

Meanwhile, Greenock returned from Castle Park with a very welcome three points following this convincing victory.

The Vics may be the whipping boys of the league and dead certs for relegation, but they still provided stuffy opposition, before being eventually undone by two own goals early in the second half.

On nine minutes, a shot from Stevie Mooney flashed just wide after great work by Alan Jamieson and Craig McCormick on the wing. Then 60 seconds later, a defence-splitting pass from Mooney released Kenny Mackay, but the striker's shot was well saved by the home keeper.

But Mackay got the opening goal after 18 minutes, when a Thomas Docherty shot was saved by McGinty, and the rebound fell nicely for the striker to tap in from two yards out.

Greenock skipper Docherty, playing up front, then saw a shot well saved by McGinty, and also hit the post with another effort on 33 minutes.

Stuart Waterson in the Greenock goal touched over a net bound volley from Crawford in Blantyre's first shot of the game, two minutes before the break.

In a second half dominated by Greenock it was the home side who gifted the visitors two goals in a three-minute spell to kill off any chance of a comeback.

A McCormick free kick saw under pressure Bonham's mistimed clearing header sail over McGinty and into the top corner of the Blantyre net, and a few minutes later a pass back from Shields on a bumpy uneven pitch went under McGinty's foot and into the back of the net.

Alan Jamieson then made it 4-0 after 65 minutes, and Greenock almost went nap when a Mooney free-kick hit the post, before Blantyre got a late consolation through Cochrane five minutes from time.

Player-manager Mooney said: ''We were outstanding today, and special praise must go to Thomas Docherty, who was excellent as a striker.

Greenock: Waterson, M. Docherty (K. Docherty 55), McCormick, B. McLaughlin, Quigley (O'Neill 70), Kearns, Fleming, Mooney (McCarn 80), Mackay, T. Docherty, Jamieson. Subs not used: McClure, Brown, Pettigrew.

l Greenock Juniors are sponsored by Regents Vehicle Sales, Greenock, Kingsley Wood Solicitors and Notaries, and the Lighthouse Bar.