Ballymena next up for the Ports
Football definitely is a funny old game, how many pundits would have predicted the Sky Blues would be sitting second in the table after almost a quarter of the season gone. It hasn’t surprised Niall Currie as his team prepare to welcome Ballymena United to Shamrock Park on Saturday. After four defeats in their opening games the Braidmen have turned it around with five straight league wins.
Speaking ahead of the game the Ports manager was full of praise for his opponents: "Ballymena have signed some good players, really top drawer experienced players. Players that have played in the top fours of the Irish League."
Reflecting on what has taken place in the opening weeks of the season Niall sees the comparisons between the two teams, "Jim had a difficult start to the season, he's like ourselves we are in transition, we're basically a new squad, Jim's got a new squad and sometimes it takes a wee bit of time. We were lucky enough that our performances were pretty good in the opening stages of the season, Jim took took three or four games, but one game can change everything."
Both managers were extremely active during the close season reshaping their squads. Ballymena brought in 13 new players with 12 going out the door. Portadown signed 14 new faces with the same number making way. Amongst those signings for Portadown wee two recruits from Ballymena, with the return of Cather Friel and the addition of Steven McCullough.
McCullough had been impressive for the Ports and is already a firm favourite with the fans, with his strong never say die attitude.
The Sky Blues boss pulled of a masterstroke with the signing of Ben Kennedy from Crusaders and it has paid instant dividends with 9 goals in the first nine games.
Currie knows that this will be yet another tough encounter but as he points out the performances from his team have been consistent and their never say die attitude has won many admirers. The battle of these two inform teams is top of the bill on Saturday.