Irish League win ‘grind’ just grand for Ballymena's Jim Ervin
Jim Ervin, having enjoyed a glowing Irish League reputation as a player, is cultivating a growing reputation as manager – with Saturday’s success over Portadown built on many of the defensive strengths celebrated across his highly-decorated career.
A sixth successive Premiership victory arrived for Ballymena as Ethan Devine headed home off a delightful Josh Carson cross with the decisive moment towards full points at Shamrock Park.
That one move to savour arrived within a display of dogged determination and rugged resolve from Ballymena that left boss Ervin delighted with his players’ resilience and ability to win ugly.
"Coming away from Shamrock Park with a clean sheet is a good platform to build on...we've seen so far this season how difficult a place it is to come to,” said Ervin. "Linfield got a point here, the Glens scored late on, Dungannon lost, Coleraine conceded late on and Portadown got a point.
"So we knew how difficult it was going to be and you've got to give credit to the boys, defensively they were outstanding.
"With the ball a lot of improvements are needed...but if you'd asked me before would I take a 1-0 win then of course.
"No-one's going to look at this game in the coming weeks and say 'Ballymena weren't great that day'...the scoreline's 1-0 and we got the three points and that's all that matters.
"Being an ex-defender it's brilliant for me...if we're able to keep clean sheets we'll always win games as we've got the quality we have in the final third.
"You'll always get an opportunity then it's about punishing the opposition and we did that today.
"The one opportunity we did get we made sure of it and it got us the three points.
"As a manager I'm delighted...it wasn't pretty on the eye or good for the nerves but you'll take that all day long.
"Portadown had a lot of the ball and put us under pressure but, particularly in the second half, how many shots did we have to save...very few, or from distance or tight angles.
"That's credit to the players...from Ethan (Devine) and the whole way back they've done their jobs today and that's all I can ask.
"If your goal's been peppered then at one stage one is going to fall but, thankfully, we prevented that.
"The run continues and long may it continue."
On an afternoon in which the hosts held the upper hand in possession, Ervin picked out a second-half scoring opportunity that presented a chance for Ballymena to cement success with a second goal.
"Noah Stewart, to be fair to him, is in there hurting as he feels he should've scored,” said Ervin. "But he was in the right place, he created that opportunity and on another day maybe he doesn't go around the goalkeeper, maybe he smashes it and you win the game 2-0.
"As a manager we don't want to be defending in our own half for 45 minutes again but you have to win different ways.
"Sometimes you have to grind results out the way we've done today....they were fighting for one another and the atmosphere is fantastic.”