Portadown boss Niall Currie apologises to supporters after Ballinamallard United 'disgrace'

The Shamrock Park outfit sit second in the league table but now trail leaders Dundela, who have a match in hand, by six points after goals from John Edgar, Darragh Byrne and Josh McIlwaine helped Tommy Canning’s side ease to victory at Ferney Park.

"Firstly it’s fitting that we apologise to our supporters today,” he told WeArePortsTV. “It’s a disgrace if we’re being honest about it – I’m speechless about some of the things I seen.

"We have to evaluate everything, but you have to be honest about things and that was a disgrace today. I don’t know where those performances come from but it’s happening too often now with the last Dundela game and then coming down here.

"Everyone was blaming the compact Dundela pitch last time, but we had an opportunity on a beautiful pitch today that is the same size as our own to open up and play.

"You need to come here and have a set of balls, but unfortunately we carried five or six players again today. The penny is going to drop and it’s going to drop very, very soon for some.”

Portadown’s away form has been in stark contrast to their home fortunes so far this season with Saturday’s defeat a fifth in 10 games on the road.

They’ve picked up 13 points from a possible 30 on their travels, compared to 24 from 30 at Shamrock Park, where they’ve won eight of 10 matches, scoring 29 goals in the process.

Currie made a number of high-profile summer signings but with injuries hampering his squad, the Ports boss has indicated that he’ll look to the January transfer window for further reinforcements.

"I have to take full responsibility for that because it’s my job to make sure everybody is up for it and ready to go,” he added. “I didn’t see anything in the warm-up or before that suggested otherwise, but ultimately the whistle goes and you’re entrusting the players that they can match effort, hunger and desire.

"Only maybe three or four players of ours did that today and I have to take full accountability for that. Nobody hurts more than me and we know what we need.

"We have too many situations at the minute where we can’t change things and players are starting in our team that in normal circumstances after a few performances we’re able to put some people on the bench and take them out of the team for competition, but we’re playing guys that are up and down like yo-yo’s at the minute.

"That has to change and that’s why I’m looking forward to getting to the window.”