PORT Glasgow’s last home match of the season really was the classic ‘game of two halves’.

A ferocious wind was the dominating factor, as Forth Wanderers took advantage of it to go in 2-0 up at the interval, although Port Glasgow came close themselves on a few occasions.

But the Port harnessed the gale to even greater effect after the break, blowing the Wanderers away with a four-goal blitz.

Forth came to Parklea as the form side in the league, having lost only once in their previous 12 matches.

And with the wind at their backs, they should have taken the lead after just seven minutes, when Jordan Smith had a free header from a corner, but glanced the ball wide of the open goal.

But the Port had also started brightly, and a Craig McCormick pass put Alan Jamieson through on goal, but Forth keeper John Hutchison blocked the winger’s shot.

And from the resultant corner, Paul Coyle’s netbound header was cleared off the line.

Chris McEleny in the Port goal then pulled off a tremendous diving save to touch an Andrew Gilchrist shot round the post, but the visitors took the lead after 22 minutes.

Tony Traynor cut inside from the left wing and squared the ball to John Watson, who steered it home from just inside the box.

At the other end, Graham Black then saw a swerving shot go inches over the bar, but on 27 minutes the Wanderers netted again.

Hesitancy between Scott Paterson and Jamieson allowed Traynor to nip in and guide a shot past McEleny.

An action-packed half ended with more chances at either end.

Coyle came close with an effort which went just over, and right on half-time Forth almost made it 3-0 when Gilchrist chipped the ball over McEleny but looked on in agony as it rebounded off the crossbar.

It was a lucky break for the Port, but they took full advantage with a storming second half.

Within five minutes they had cut the deficit to one, when a free-kick was cleared to the edge of the box, from where Jamieson blasted the ball into the corner of the net.

And on 54 minutes it was 2-2, when a McCormick corner saw Dean McKay escape his marker to head home.

A few minutes later, McCormick himself thought he had got on the score-sheet but his effort was ruled offside by referee Ross Hardie, wrongly in the Port bench’s opinion.

But it was McCormick who put the Port ahead on 76 minutes. It was a 50-50 race for the ball between the winger and keeper Hutchison, but the goalie seemed to take his eye off the ball, leaving the Port player with a simple chance to tuck it into the net. Port sub Scott Nugent then got behind the Forth defence a couple of times, but it came to nothing, and the Wanderers began to exert some late pressure without really troubling the home defence.

However, their attacks were leaving them exposed, with only one defender left at the back.

And with the clock now ticking into the 92nd minute, a Port breakaway saw Nugent outpace the lone defender before dinking a delightful chip over keeper Hutchison to seal the points for the Port.

This was an encouraging performance from Port Glasgow against a side who had everything to play for. The defeat dealt a severe blow to Forth Wanderers’ promotion chances, and leaves them relying on fellow promotion candidates Wishaw dropping some points in their remaining three matches, one of which is, curiously enough, against Port Glasgow.

Port boss Craig Brown said: “It was difficult to play against the wind in the first half, but even at that I felt we should have dealt with both of Forth’s goals.

“But we controlled the game in the second half and created lots of chances, and in the end we were worthy winners.” Port Glasgow: McEleny, McClement, Coyle, Mansare, Paterson, D. McKay (Casement 80), Jamieson, Grana, Black (Nugent 70), Gordon, McCormick. Subs not used: McBryde, F. McKay, McClure.

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