WHAT THE MANAGER SAID: ‘We deserve to take it to the last game’ – Niall Currie ready for final push towards European shot

With the potential reward of European football for the club home in seventh, the Ports play host now on the final day to Ballymena United aiming for a third successive Sports Direct Premiership win and hope near-neighbours Loughgall can defeat Cliftonville at Lakeview Park.

Here’s the verdict from Portadown’s 2-0 win over Cliftonville by home boss Niall Currie:

OVERALL PERFORMANCE...

"Aaron Traynor was outstanding, Divin Isamala was sensational...I can look at every player and it was just a good day for us.

"I thought we thoroughly deserved it, everybody should be proud.

"We carried a real threat...I felt after five or 10 minutes we were on it, I liked the balance and shape, today belongs to the collective.

"Cliftonville are a top-end side and shouldn't be in the bottom six but I don't think we got them on a bad day, they got us on one of our really, really good days."

LEAGUE POSITION...

"It's a great achievement (to secure eighth)...it's been wonderful.

"I think the whole club's target was 10th (following promotion last season as Championship champions)!

"It's been a long season, we've had many ups and downs but I can't praise the players enough.

"We're going into games the last six or seven weeks with five or six starters not in the team.

"For a newly-promoted club with 90 minutes together just on Tuesdays and Thursdays...the players are a credit to the club.

"We can go into the 95th minute, no-one can accuse this group of fading away...we've won many, many games this season in added time.”

LEE CHAPMAN...

"I've worked with Lee a long time and we know his value.

"His consistency this season has been second-to-none.

"I haven't seen a better right-back in the league.

"He's just always there and if he starts next week it's his 100th game (for Portadown) and not missed one this season through injury.

"He's been unbelievable."

EUROPEAN PLAY-OFF FIGHT...

"I asked the players to take it right to the end.

"Any times we've been down we've been able to bounce back and it shows character...all season they've had that resilience.

"We've some wonderful memories this season.

"I think we deserve to take it to the last game to get into the European play-off.

"It's brilliant and we'll give it a right go.

"If next week we get near that level of performance today then we've a huge chance.

"It's out of our hands but the other side of the coin is Loughgall are fighting away.

"All we can do is make sure we finish our end of it.

"The players have represented the club brilliantly...all supporters want is honesty and they have that with this group.

"But we're better than just an honest team."

ATTACKING PLAY...

"The first 10, 15 minutes of each half are the critical moments and we wanted to be on the front foot today, proactive not reactive.

"I tell my wingers I don't care if you lose the ball 10 times in the final third of the pitch...create one-v-ones and go at teams.

"I felt there were some phases of play today absolutely fantastic to watch.

"I thought we played some really good stuff today - which you never really hear about us, we're (seen) as just hard-working, dogged.

"I think we're better than that and we've proved it many, many times this year.

"We've got good players at this club, assets...players a few of the big boys would be very interested in.

"But they're here next season and we know the progression is going to be ever harder, so anyone we bring in has to be better."