BELFAST, Northern Ireland (April 11, 2026) (Interstat) — Crusaders opened the Premiership season with a dominant 4-0 victory over Portadown at Seaview on Saturday. The home side overwhelmed the visitors with three first-half goals, defying a pre-match projection that forecast a closer contest.

Kieran McKechnie opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Fraser Bryden doubled the lead nine minutes later, and Elliot Dunlop made it 3-0 just four minutes after that. Bryden sealed the comprehensive win with his second goal in the 73rd minute. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 2-1 Crusaders win, with its ELO system giving the hosts a 52.6% probability of victory. Both clubs opened their league campaigns with the result.