Down Memory Lane

COLERAINE would reach the Irish Cup semi-final in 1964 as a deadly brace from Ken Halliday did the damage against Portadown…

Date:

Saturday, March 7, 1964

Result:

Coleraine 3-1 Portadown

Goals – Halliday (2), McCurdy; Gorman

Ken Halliday ‘chaired’ off the pitch by jubilant supporters.

Report:

Scenes of wild enthusiasm greeted Coleraine’s magnificent victory over Portadown in their best display for weeks.

Ken Halliday deserves praise for two second-half goals but this was not a one-man victory.

Portadown took the lead after 12 minutes when Coleraine were a bit ragged. But they got going in the second half with three good goals to clinch the tie.

Eamon Gorman was the Portadown marksman early in the game but it was full-back John McCurdy who put Coleraine back into the game with a diving header.

Ken Halliday stole the honours with two goals in a seven minute spell to give the Bannsiders a memorable victory.

The two teams went into the Cup tie neck and neck at the top of the table but the following Saturday, Coleraine lost 2-1 at Ballymena and Portadown went top but later Coleraine beat Portadown 1-0 away to go top again.

Sadly, Coleraine lost 1-0 at home to Derry City, allowing Glentoran in. The Glens pipped Coleraine to the title by one point.

The win against the Ports in the Cup saw the Bannsiders reach the semi-final or the first time in 11 years – the Glens won 2-0 and lost to Derry City in the final.

However, 12 months later Coleraine beat the Glens in the semi-final and Glenavon in the final.

Line-ups:

COLERAINE: McAfee, McCurdy, Campbell, Murray, Davey, Peacock, Dunlop, McCarroll, Halliday, Spence, Irwin.

PORTADOWN: Nicholson, Burke, Campbell, Cush, Chambers, Thompson, Hunter, Webb, Gorman, Newell, Jennings.

*Many thanks to Hunter McClelland for the research*