Niall Currie wants Portadown players to take confidence from cup exploits against Premiership teams into BetMcLean Cup final with Linfield

The Ports are just the third Championship team in competition history to make it to the showpiece decider – the Shamrock Park outfit won the League Cup as a second-tier side in 2009 while Currie guided Ards to this stage in 2016 before losing out to Cliftonville.

Last Friday’s Irish Cup quarter-final defeat to the Reds marked Portadown’s first cup loss in 11 matches this campaign with the County Armagh outfit beating Crusaders, Carrick Rangers, Dungannon Swifts, Glenavon and Loughgall (twice).

While Linfield, who won this tournament for a record-extending 11th time last season, provide a different proposition, especially on home turf, Currie wants his side to use their previous experience as a source of inspiration.

"If the players need any extra confidence they only need to look at what we have done so far this season,” he said. "We have been good enough to beat the likes of Crusaders, Loughgall and Glenavon already, so I don't think we'll be shy on that front.

"I understand it will be different against Linfield on their home patch, but it's a football pitch, a big one to be fair so I'm sure there will be a few tired legs, but as long as there will be guys wringing their jerseys out at the end that's all I ask for.”

There’s a sense of expectation on both Currie and his counterpart David Healy this season with the former looking to deliver immediate promotion back to the top-flight while there are always silverware demands on Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer.

"David has been fantastic with me, he has sent me some lovely messages when we've gone through a sticky patch in the league,” added Currie. "He's a class act and listening to a guy who has had the success he's had here.

"He's a wonderful manager and a wonderful person as well. He's been very helpful to me. I've found some of the stick hard to understand, but I've had plenty of it, but as David would acknowledge he gets the same.

"Linfield and Portadown are two big clubs and the expectation levels are huge. You have to understand that when you're managing a club like Portadown, especially when you're a local.

"But I'm no different to anybody else – if you're not winning matches you're going to get it. I probably get more stick here right enough than I got at my other five clubs put together, but I wouldn't change a thing.

"You just have to have that siege mentality and dust it off, it's just a part of football nowadays.”