Coleraine made the early running at Shamrock Park and were two goals up before the half hour in Portadown Vs Coleraine, with Matthew Shevlin and Senan Devine finishing the first half-hour strongly for the visitors.
The Bannsiders arrived unbeaten in their last 10 league outings, a run that stretched back to the end of last season, while Portadown were still without a point. That gap in momentum showed quickly after Will Patching got the game under way and helped Coleraine set the tone from the start.
Inside four minutes, Shevlin opened the scoring after a pass from Patching. It was the kind of quick breakthrough that can change the shape of an away match immediately, especially against a side already under pressure in the Irish Premiership.
Portadown did have moments to respond. In the 10th minute, Aidan Wilson hacked Sean O'Mahoney's effort off the goal line, and around the 15th minute Ben Doherty struck the base of a post after being played in by Patching. Those chances suggested Portadown could create problems, but Coleraine remained the more dangerous side overall.
Midway through the opening half, Matthew Carson was booked for a challenge on Jay Henderson, adding to the match's early intensity. Coleraine also showed another route to goal, with the visitors looking sharp from set pieces and continuing to test Portadown whenever the ball was delivered into the box.
Coleraine's set-piece threat tells again
That pressure paid off just before the half hour. Senan Devine headed in Coleraine's second goal from a Ben Doherty corner, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead and underlining how dangerous they were from dead-ball situations.
For Coleraine, the opening spell offered a clear sign of why they have been high flying and looking to extend their lead at the top of the Premiership table. For Portadown, the task became even harder once the visitors had established control so early.
summed up the key development simply: Shevlin and Devine net early to give the Bannsiders the lead.
