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Portadown kept alive their hopes of making the top six in the Premiership split by beating Glenavon in the mid-Ulster derby at Shamrock Park.

Sean Mackle slid in an early opener for the Ports and Darren Murray lobbed keeper Davy O'Hare to put the dominant hosts 2-0 ahead after 40 minutes.

Kevin Braniff added a third with a cool finish before Ciaran Martyn tapped in for the Lurgan Blues.

Glenavon's Robbie McDaid was sent-off late on for a poor challenge.

It was all too easy for the hosts as they continued an impressive recent record against their Lurgan neighbours.

Mackle burst past full-back Kyle Neill before slipping the ball beyond O'Hare and finding the bottom corner on 13 minutes.

Murray wasted a good chance before latching on to Chris Casement's long ball and lobbing O'Hare to give the Ports a two-goal cushion at the break.

Branniff showed his class with a strike beyond O'Hare on the hour mark as Portadown again scored from a long ball.

Martyn gave Glenavon a glimmer of hope with his close-range finish on 71 minutes after keeper David Miskelly spilled the ball.

Martyn rifled just wide soon after but their chances of a comeback ended with six minutes left when McDaid was shown a straight red-card after a tackle on Miskelly.

Portadown are six points behind sixth-placed Coleraine but they have a game in hand on the Bannsiders.