Portadown manager Niall Currie was quick to praise his newly-promoted players’ performances despite back-to-back defeats and remains confident Premiership points will come later if early levels stand sustained.

Having lost at Cliftonville by a single goal, the Ports’ first top-flight game at Shamrock Park following a rapid response to relegation looked on course for a first reward until former Northern Ireland international Niall McGinn grabbed victory for Glentoran with an injury-time strike which deflected beyond home goalkeeper Aaron McCarey.

That 2-1 defeat opened with former Ports loan player Jordan Jenkins putting Glentoran in front before substitute Ryan Mayse smashed in a second-half equaliser to set up a grandstand finish.

McGinn’s last-gasp moment left Currie, once again, reflecting on zero rewards in return for effort levels he could only admire.

placeholder image — Portadown's Josh Ukek forcing a path between Glentoran's Fuad Sule (left) and Josh Kelly at Shamrock Park. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

"That's a sickener...a couple of switch-off moments,” said Currie. "I think the first goal, I don't want to sound old school but you take your yellow card...it was too easy for them.

"I thought whenever they scored the second goal we were in the ascendancy.

"We switch off for a second off the throw-in and then turn our backs for the shot when sometimes you need to take the hit in the face.

"As the game went on we grew into it and in team talks the big word at the minute is resilience.

"We're going to have to be resilient this season...we have to dust ourselves down because the performance level was there, the effort levels were there, the shape was good.

"We get 90 minutes on a Tuesday and the same on a Thursday but playing teams never off the training pitch working on shape, patterns of play and set-pieces.

"I thought we matched them in every department but, ultimately, it's about points on the board.

"I felt we were very unlucky not to get any points today and if you'd said to me at the start of the season we'd put in two performances like that (v Cliftonville and Glentoran) I'd be very happy.

"I'm a great believer in you get your rewards for what you put in...if staying at that level of performance.

"We won a lot of duels, a lot of second balls.

"We've worked really hard in pre-season and our fitness levels have been good."

Currie offered opportunities in the final third to Josh Ukek and Ahu Obhakhan in search of an attacking spark.

The Ports boss felt, overall, his players offered “a wee threat” and feels there is more to come from the squad.

"Today we showed what we didn't against Cliftonville...a wee threat,” said Currie. "I thought Ukek (Josh) was superb in the first half but went out of the game as he hasn't played a lot of football and Ahu (Obhakhan) looks like a great focal-point striker but hasn't had a pre-season or played any football in over a month.

"We threw those two guys in with very little football under their belts so they're only going to get better and, when fully up and running, great assets.

"We're running with a big squad but you'll see outgoings as it's not a budget situation, it's a numbers situation at the minute...so we'll try to trim down but if you go with the nucleus of what we've seen there are a number of positives."