Glen Hand fired the Ladbrokes.com Championship side into the lead after 34 minutes with a half-volley from 18 yards.

It got worse for Portadown three minutes later when leading scorer Kevin Braniff was shown a straight red card for raising his hands.

But Ronnie McFall's side dragged themselves back into the game a minute from the interval courtesy of a 20-yard Gary McCutcheon curling right foot free-kick.

After the break the Ports were the dominant force and might have moved in front when McCutcheon had an effort blocked by Jonathan Watterson while Rangers 'keeper Ciaran Stitt did well to produce two further blocks from the Scotsman.

Richard Lecky went even closer for Portadown when his shot from a McCutcheon corner crashed back off an upright before Stitt was called into action again to push away a goalbound Darren Kelly header.

Both sides came close to snatching victory late in the game when, first, a Darren McNamee header from a Ben Browne cross fell just wide followed by another McCutcheon foray which ended with his effort being cleared off the line by Mark Prenter.