Portadown star hopeful move to Shamrock Park can help him fulfil dream of becoming Premiership player

The 25-year-old started out with Ballymena United, and although he registered appearances in various cup competitions, a top-flight debut never came his way.

Dobbin has since been impressing in the Championship with Knockbreda, Ballyclare Comrades, Dundela and now the Ports, where he has enjoyed a superb start to life at Shamrock Park by scoring three goals in five matches, including one last week as Currie’s side lifted the Mid-Ulster Cup with a 5-2 triumph over Dungannon Swifts.

Following Saturday’s 1-1 draw against former side Dundela, Portadown sit four points adrift of current league leaders Institute in what is set to be an entertaining race for Championship glory.

They are unbeaten against Premiership sides this season, defeating Loughgall (twice), Crusaders, Carrick Rangers, Glenavon and Dungannon while progressing in cup competitions, which should instil confidence ahead of their title run-in.

"That's the goal for me (to play in the Premiership) at the end of the day and it was one of the big things when I was making my decision,” said Dobbin. “Over the last couple of years, every decision I've made is with the end goal of getting to the Premiership.

"I had a taste for it when I was younger breaking through at Ballymena at 17 or 18, but unfortunately I never got to make my Premiership debut. I played in the Co Antrim Shield and Irish Cup, but it was a big regret of mine that I never got to play in the league. It has always been the goal for me since then to get back there.

"With Portadown doing so well against Premiership clubs it's good for the confidence that we can go on and do better things."

Having played in the second-tier for the past eight years, Dobbin has experienced firsthand the vast improvements in both standard of player and team over recent times.

Only nine points separates Institute and seventh-placed Annagh United while Bangor, who will be Portadown’s opponents in the Irish Cup sixth round this weekend, are in red-hot form, putting together an unbeaten league run of 10 matches to propel themselves into third.

"The Championship is a really strong league and although it's a big step up to the Premiership, the gap isn't as big as people think to the bottom-half especially,” added Dobbin. “The top-half are nearly in a league of their own.

"When you look at the Championship table it's unbelievable - I don't think there's another league like it with the amount of teams that are still in the race.

"It used to be that a lot of teams in the Championship were fighting to try and get sixth spot to avoid relegation battles, but teams are looking to get into that top-six now to maintain their hopes of promotion.

"There aren't many points between first and seventh or eighth even and that's great to see. Anybody can beat anybody in this league and there's never a weekend where there isn't a shock. It's a great league and great that there are so many teams pushing for success."