CHAMPIONSHIP: Matthew Tipton's delight at first Portadown win but derby pain again for Dean Smith and Loughgall

Goals by Chris Lavery and Adam McCallum secured Portadown success over Loughgall by 2-1 in the Bluefin Sport Championship.
Matthew Tipton. Pic by Pacemaker.Matthew Tipton. Pic by Pacemaker.
Matthew Tipton. Pic by Pacemaker.

Dale Montgomery was on target for Loughgall but the three points provided Matthew Tipton a first win as Portadown manager in his second fixture.

“In the first half we were super and created opportunities but it was difficult to keep up that tempo and standard in the second,” said Tipton. “We started to switch off a bit after the break and the example was the Loughgall goal.

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“A set-piece goal is always pleasing as that is the stuff you work on in training.

Loughgall manager Dean Smith. Pic by PressEye.Loughgall manager Dean Smith. Pic by PressEye.
Loughgall manager Dean Smith. Pic by PressEye.

“There were opportunities to get more off the counter-attack.

“It is a work in progress, with this our second game after five training sessions.

“But the pleasing parts are the result and the first half.

“The fitness levels may not be there yet to produce that over 90 minutes but it is my job to get to that point and it will happen.

Loughgall manager Dean Smith. Pic by PressEye.Loughgall manager Dean Smith. Pic by PressEye.
Loughgall manager Dean Smith. Pic by PressEye.
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“We had tremendous plaudits from the first week and the reaction was nice to hear from everyone.

“But that first game is now out of the way so you want to get that first victory.

“I thrive on winning and was pleased with the first half.

“Our first goal was a great cross and great finish and for the second, we ask our defenders to go up at set-pieces as a goal threat.”

It marked a fifth derby defeat of the season for Loughgall against Portadown.

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“I’m frustrated again as we were not good enough and didn’t deserve a whole lot from the game,” said Villagers boss Dean Smith. “Since making the top six we have lifted a single point so that tells me what I need to do for next season.

“That display frustrates me, it drives me up the wall as Portadown were the better team for large parts of the game.

“I’ve just told the players that, no disrespect to the club but it’s the worst Portadown team in a long, long time and we’ve now lost to them five times this season.

“It’s not good enough by our players and not acceptable.

“We have 15 or 20 minutes in spells but we cannot accept that from the players.

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“We had a one-on-one after 15 minutes or so from which we should really have hit the target.

“But it probably would not have changed the pattern of the game.

“A positive result would have been papering over the cracks as we were out-performed and the players know what we expect.

“If you take the aggregate score over the five games we have not turned up.”