'We deserved at least a point': David Jeffrey delighted for the players as Portadown get season up and running
David Jeffrey heaped full praise on his Portadown players after they finally registered a Premiership point following a 1-1 draw against Linfield at Shamrock Park.
After six defeats in succession heading into the contest against the in-form Blues, many would have predicted that the visitors would have left with all three points.
It certainly looked that way when Ethan McGee and Kobei Moore combined inside the box to free up Kyle McClean who lashed home an unstoppable effort beyond Jamie Barry.
However, the Ports didn’t fold and carved out two big opportunities to level when Sean O'Mahoney King struck the post in the first half, before Linfield custodian Chris Johns pulled off a world-class save to palm away Ben Kennedy’s driven effort after the restart.
Their efforts were then rewarded when referee Steven Gregg pointed to the spot after Dane McCullough was adjudged to have handled inside the box.
A confident Kennedy drilled his penalty beyond the dive of Johns as Portadown brought their six-match losing run to an end.
"I'm delighted, particularly for the players,” Jeffrey told Portadown’s social media platforms.
"I have consistently said in all my interviews that they've worked extremely hard, they've applied themselves well, and their attitude and commitment can't be faulted.
"But I've been equally as honest by saying that the number of games that we've played where we've been punished by individual errors or where we could have done better in our own box and in the opponent's box.
"I've tried to make sure that the players are protected to the very best of my ability...we continued to encourage them and to give them that confidence moving forward.
"We deserved at least a point and I don't think anyone could have denied us if we got all three.
"I thought the commitment and the application of the players was first class.”
Jeffrey also dedicated to the result to the supporters but knows they can ill-afford to get carried away as they make the trip to Bangor on Saturday.
He added: "I think the first thing we've got to say is a thank you to our supporters.
"I can totally understand their frustrations, and in fact, I said publicly that they must have been wondering what was the club doing bringing that boy Jeffrey about the place.
"Whilst we've worked desperately hard...things haven't been going the way we'd have liked them to go.
"We've got that little bit of encouragement tonight but Bangor is going to be difficult as Lee Feeney has done an outstanding job.
"We have to enjoy the moment and appreciate the reward that the players have got for their hard work.
"But that will count for absolutely when we go down to Clandeboye Park on Saturday."
It now means that Linfield are three points behind the early pacesetters Coleraine and manager David Healy labelled his side’s display at Shamrock Park as a “poor performance and poor result”.