POST-MATCH VERDICT: We had to score when on top in the first half, says Portadown manager David Jeffrey after defeat at Ballymena United
David Jeffrey failed to criticise his Portadown players after their wait for a first Premiership victory continues, believing they paid the price for failing to score in the first half at the Ballymena Showgrounds.
Here’s what he had to say after the 2-0 loss.
NEEDING TO SCORE WHEN ON TOP:
"There only is one lesson when you're in the ascendancy, then you've got to take your chances.
"And today, it just wasn't about us not taking our chances. You've got to say, David Walsh, pulled off a worldie save in the first half.
"But to break it down for you very quickly, I went down at half-time and said to the players we should be three up – and that's the long and short of it.
"There will be a time when Ballymena will get back into the game, so we've got to be on our guard, and in saying that, the two goals, I thought were pretty special from Ballymena.
"I think the first one came from a free kick, which I felt was soft and could have gone either way, but you've got to give credit where credit's due to Finley Thorndike as it was a great finish.
"And the second one, again, we were probably thinking about trying to get forward rather than remembering to keep the back door closed, and invariably, Igor scores with a great finish as well.
RESPONSE FROM THE PLAYERS AFTER BANGOR LOSS:
“There's no criticism at all of the players, absolutely none.
"I was critical in terms of energy, work weight, hard work, which are non-negotiables against Bangor.
"I thought we could have and should have done much better on that particular day.
"But today, I just asked the players to go out and make sure that they gave all that they could give, that they gave their best, and unfortunately today, our best turned out not to be good enough.
"We came here, we were well-organised, we were well-drilled, we played, I thought, particularly well in the first half, and, you know, it just isn't going for us.
"I'm going away tonight, and I've said to the players, this was my 1300th hundredth game charge today.
"Today, I had a group of players who went out and gave of their best and couldn't give anything more, and then another day, they get a point, or maybe even three points, but such is the game of football.
STILL ENJOYING IT NOW AS YOU DID WHEN YOU FIRST MANAGED?
"Well, to put it like this, you don't enjoy getting beaten.
"And I particularly, you know, I'm not special, I don't enjoy getting beaten.
"But what you do want is that the team, the players that you manage, if they are going out to give of their best for you, then you can accept an awful lot.
"And while I'm disappointed that on this day we didn't get what we deserved, what I can say is that this group of young men went out and gave of their best for today, for Portadown Football Club and for themselves, and for that, then you take solace from that.