A SPIRITED second-half performance against Dunipace on Saturday wasn't enough to halt Port Glasgow's end-of-season form slump.

At a sun-drenched Westfield Park, the home side took the lead on 21 minutes with a shot from Danny Brown which curled past Port keeper Bryan Tucker and into the net via a post.

And what was probably the decisive goal in the match came seconds before half-time, when a cross into the Port box was flicked home by Gary Wright.

The Port pulled one back three minutes into the second half, with a neatly worked goal when Alan Jamieson whipped in a cross from the left wing and Frankie McKay side-footed the ball into the net on the volley.

But Dunipace restored their two-goal advantage just six minutes later. Mark Batchelor was allowed space in the box at a corner kick, and headed past Tucker.

Port Glasgow fought back and Jamieson might have done better than blast over the bar from eight yards out.

But they were given some hope when McKay netted again three minutes from time.

Substitute Ian Beattie sent over an inviting cross from the left and McKay scored with a rare header.

And the Port almost snatched a point right at the death, but Jamieson's luck was still out, as his shot from an Alan Frizzell cross again flew over the bar.

Port manager Craig Brown said: "There were some positives in the game, like the good performances of our younger players Grant Haggerty and Alan Frizzell.

"Overall I thought a draw would have been a fair result, but we don't defend strongly enough at times, and that is our Achilles' heel."

Port Glasgow: Tucker, Casement, Smith (Beattie 81), Coyle, Maguire, Docherty, McKay, Haggerty, Nugent (McDowall 64), Frizzell, Jamieson. Port Glasgow Juniors are sponsored by Regents Vehicle Sales, Greenock, and WJ.