MANAGER'S VIEW: Special Portadown praise after 'not logical' shock win ends leaders’ 18-game run
Portadown closed off what manager Niall Currie called “a tough week” with celebrations at a 2-1 win “not logical” over a Larne side top of the Premiership table boasting an 18-game unbeaten league run before Shamrock Park.
Josh Ukek set up both goals for the Ports – with Jack Scott kicking off the scoring and Eamon Fyfe capping the spirited home display as Andy Ryan grabbed the Larne equaliser for 1-1.
Chris Gallagher’s second-half red card after the Ports had taken a 2-1 lead into half-time proved another talking point in the thrilling clash.
Victory arrived for Portadown after losing leads to both Dungannon Swifts (Irish Cup) and Coleraine (Irish League) in defeats over the previous week.
Here’s the verdict of Portadown boss Niall Currie:
OVERALL PERFORMANCE...
"It's a great performance and it's a great day...they're a top, top-level team.
"It was a big sickener on Tuesday night (v Coleraine) for everybody and last weekend as well.
"We've had three really good performances.
"I'm really happy for the players because I keep saying to the players if you keep the levels up, you'll get your rewards at some stage.
"In hindsight, when you look back at all three games, we deserved something more...but we've got it today.
"That's the key to it...in that situation you need to have players laying their bodies on the line. "My players, against a team like that, need to be doing 11.5-12k (kilometres running) every game.
"Guaranteed, we're not too far off it.
"I just think you look at all the players and you just go from back to front we were brilliant today.
"Everything was left out on the pitch."
SHOCK WIN OVER LEAGUE LEADERS...
"This is football.
"Sometimes you can't get any logic from football.
"How we win against a Larne team is not logical, if we're going to be honest about it. "But it happens...this is the beauty of the game.
"The players were brilliant. "I think we carried a major threat today.
"I thought that every time we broke out, we could have had a couple of goals there at the end of the game if we show a wee bit more composure."
MOVING FORWARD...
"It's a really good day for the club.
"We've a good squad here...players never give up, even through bad patches.
"I think we're trying to build on it now, we're trying to look forward.
"It's been a tough week...100 per cent, it's been real tough.
"You make hay when the sun shines. "There's no doubt the last two results have been really hurtful.
"Tuesday night was probably right up there with one of the biggest sickeners I've had in football."