Drop the subject

Paddy McLaughlin admits that, despite trailing with little more than 10 minutes left on the clock against Portadown yesterday, Cliftonville departed Shamrock Park feeling that a draw represented two points dropped.

After going close on a number of occasions in the first-half, the Reds were made to pay for a momentary lapse that Stephen Teggart capitalised on to put the hosts in front, but Paul O’Neill’s headed equaliser was the least Cliftonville deserved for a dominant second-half display that saw numerous near misses, two goal-line clearances and a series of fine saves from Ports keeper Jethren Barr.

“We are a point better off, but we will see it probably as two dropped because we had so many chances to win it in the end,” reflected McLaughlin.

“You have to give the goalkeeper full credit, he was superb. He made a couple of great saves and we’ve had two off the line as well.

“On another day, we win the game and probably win it by a couple of goals as well.

“Portadown scoring kickstarted us into more of an attacking threat.

“After we went behind, we went up through the gears. We scored one but how it was only one, God only knows. Between Paul Finnegan and the keeper, you have to give them credit.

“Portadown hung in there and defended for their lives at the end. I’m just disappointed it took us to go behind to play like that, we should have been like that from the start.

“It’s a tough place to come and they have taken points off a lot of the top sides this season and you can see why. We’re disappointed we didn’t win the game but we will take the point and move on.”