Portadown hope to sell some tickets for this game even though the season has been rough so far with 18 points and a 10th position in the Premiership table. Visiting Crusaders holds 7th place with 39 pts.
- Portadown have the fewest points (6) at home in Premiership
- Crusaders have the most matches over the total-line (17) in Premiership
There’s little time for restitution or working hard at the training pitch these days, with both teams having played their last game less than four days ago.
Portadown form and stats
The home fans haven’t been spoiled with victories in the Premiership this season. Portadown, who have the fewest points (6) at home in Premiership, have only managed 1 win, 3 draws and 7 losses from their games here at Shamrock Park. Two defeats in a row at home hurts for Portadown, their manager M. Tipton and the supporters. There are certain expectations for improvement.
The Portadown fans got no joy from their last match, a Premiership game also here at Shamrock Park: A 0-1 defeat against Linfield (placed 1st). Heartbreak before that as Portadown lost 3-5 at Carrick Rangers's place.
The manager M. Tipton will start preparations for the next game as soon this is finished, as the hosts are going to Glentoran in only four days.
Portadown has scored 11 league goals at home this season, in 11 matches. With more than 1,5 conceded goals on average, the Portadown defense is not exactly impregnable. 19 goals conceded from 11 games. You can find more goal stats on the Statistics tab above.
Crusaders form and stats
The visitors are W4-D2-L7 on the road this term. That's in the Premiership. It's looking increasingly bleak for Crusaders who now has to deal with a four game losing streak. Carrick Rangers was the last time a defeat was avoided. The pressure to perform on the road is increasing on S. Baxter, the Crusaders manager, as the last three away games were defeats.
Crusaders play their second straight away game, having lost the previous one 0-1 to Glentoran (placed 3rd). Prior to that match, the Crusaders manager S. Baxter faced defeat when travelling to Dungannon Swifts and losing 1-2.
Late heartbreak for Crusaders in the Glentoran match, as the deciding 0-1 goal came deep into overtime.
There might be some complaints about the fixture list from the Crusaders manager S. Baxter as the team has another away game coming up in only three days, this time against Ballymena United.
Crusaders are not goal shy away from home in the league, finding the net 20 times in 13 away games so far. It's been trouble in front of goal recently, as only 1 of these goals has been scored in their last three away matches. Defensive performances away have varied in quality as Crusaders have conceded 20 goals on the road. For more goal statistics, check out the Statistics tab above.
Head 2 Head
This is the result when the teams met earlier this season; Portadown - Crusaders 2-2. Numbers for the last ten meetings between these two teams are: two wins for Portadown, two draws and six wins for Crusaders. Over 2,5 goals: six times; under 2,5 goals: four games.Top Goalscorers
  L. Bonis 8 goals |  P. Heatley 7 goals | J. McGonigle 7 goals |
Portadown missing players
Crusaders missing players
| Portadown | Crusaders | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs | Statistics | Stat | vs | Away | Total |
| 25 | 11 | 5 | Played | P | 3 | 13 | 27 |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | Won | W | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | Drew | D | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 15 | 7 | 2 | Lost | L | 1 | 7 | 12 |
| 29 | 11 | 7 | Scored | S | 5 | 20 | 45 |
| 53 | 19 | 6 | Conceded | C | 3 | 20 | 35 |
| 96% | 91% | 80% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 88% | 82% | 80% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 67% | 85% | 78% |
| 68% | 64% | 60% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 67% | 77% | 67% |
| 36% | 27% | 20% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 33% | 38% | 37% |
| 24% | 9% | 20% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 8% | 11% |
| 60% | 64% | 80% | BTTS | BTTS | 67% | 69% | 56% |
| 12% | 9% | 20% | Clean Sheets | C S | 33% | 15% | 30% |
| 32% | 36% | 20% | Failed to Score | F T | 0% | 15% | 15% |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6.1 | 7.4 | 9 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 8.3 | 8.2 | 9.3 |
| 2.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 |
| 40% | 31% | 33% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 38% | 39% | 39% |
- Crusaders have played more matches over 2,5 goals away than home.
- Crusaders have the fewest matches under the total-line (9) in Premiership
- Crusaders have the most matches over the total-line (17) in Premiership
- Crusaders haven’t played a single 0-0 game.
- Portadown have the fewest points (6) at home in Premiership
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Linfield | 28 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 67 | 28 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 45 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 21 | 39 | 60 |
| 2 | Coleraine | 26 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 40 | 25 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 13 | 15 | 50 |
| 3 | Glentoran | 26 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 45 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 15 | 23 | 48 |
| 4 | Larne | 26 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 42 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 16 | 45 |
| 5 | Cliftonville | 27 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 38 | 30 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 43 |
| 6 | Ballymena United | 27 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 42 | 30 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 13 | 12 | 42 |
| 7 | Crusaders | 27 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 45 | 35 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 15 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 39 |
| 8 | Glenavon | 26 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 40 | 44 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 23 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 21 | -4 | 36 |
| 9 | Warrenpoint Town | 26 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 27 | 45 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 30 | -18 | 26 |
| 10 | Portadown | 25 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 29 | 53 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 34 | -24 | 18 |
| 11 | Carrick Rangers | 26 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 26 | 63 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 31 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 32 | -37 | 17 |
| 12 | Dungannon Swifts | 26 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 17 | 57 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 25 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 32 | -40 | 15 |