Dream debut for Eoin Bradley but Portadown manager aware striker's real value yet to come

Ports boss Niall Currie recently added 39-year-old Bradley to his summer rebuilding plan with a view the experienced forward would offer a different dimension to future battles in the pre-season title favourites’ push for immediate Championship promotion.

However, it was in the sunshine on home soil at Shamrock Park that Bradley made his mark – scoring the game’s only goal against Institute just six minutes into his introduction off the substitutes’ bench.

"My thought process (with signing Eoin Bradley) probably wasn't about Shamrock Park...it was more going to places like the Annagh, Dundela or Ballyclare,” said Currie. "On those tight pitches it's all about first ball and second ball when you need a physical presence up top.

"But you could see today when he came on how he was disrupting the Institute centre-backs.

"He's going to give us a really good option as we didn't have that type of striker."

The dream debut by Bradley helped add a welcome shine to a Ports performance short of sparkle.

Currie, in front of home supporters for the first time in Portadown’s high-stakes bid for a rapid return to the senior stage, offered a frank review.

"You could see we are still a wee bit disjointed as we've a lot of new players...I wasn't planning on bringing in that many.

"Over this first month of the season we need to really dig in as I don't think you will see the best of us until after that period.

"So picking up points, even while we're not fluid, is the main thing.

"We've better levels to go, there's no doubt about that and we've got to get a lot better.

"Institute will feel hard done by not to be picking up a point from that today but that's on us.

"We carried three or four players today and they know who they are.

"We will get better and the most important thing is we're sitting on six points after two games.

"I think we've started slowly in both games but we've a lot of players who haven't experienced the Championship and it's a different ball game.

"It's a big learning curve for some and I think some are getting their eyes opened.

"We're all happy (with the result) but we can't be in a situation at Shamrock Park holding on at the end of the game.

"I want us to be at Shamrock Park on our big wide open pitch controlling the game.

"It didn't quite happen today, we looked a bit edgy again from the start of the game.

"If we're being honest, we had some under-performing and if we're going to do what everyone wants to do here then that was nowhere near the levels.

"The plus is we kept a clean sheet.

"We will work hard on Tuesday and work hard on Thursday.

"We react to situations instead of being proactive, when we lose possession we don't get the ball back quick enough."