Fine margins

Paddy McLaughlin admits that while Cliftonville could have won yesterday’s Danske Bank Premiership tussle with Portadown by a more comfortable scoreline, they could also have just as easily surrendered a couple of points.

Goals from Ronan Hale and Ryan Curran appeared to have the Reds in control at Shamrock Park, but Jordan Jenkins’ quickfire reply gave the hosts a lifeline they held on to right until the final kick thanks to a second-half that saw Cliftonville carve out numerous opportunities without adding to their total.

“I’m delighted to get out with the win,” he said.

“Portadown pushed us to the last minute of the game. When we went 2-0 up, we were thinking that if we scored the next goal, the game is over, but credit to Portadown because they recovered well.

“In the second-half, we’d two or three great chances and they made some good blocks, tackles and it was last-ditch stuff. On another day, we’d have scored more but also on another day, we could have drawn the game.

“We came out of the blocks flying and, up until we conceded, I thought it was a really strong performance. Our ratio of the chances that we are creating to what we are taking, if we could improve that it would be a lot more comfortable.

“We do create so many chances and our forward play has really been super so far this season. We are creating loads of chances and our front men are lively. They are always chipping in with goals.

“I think if we we were more ruthless – we definitely have to be more ruthless defensively – but if we’re more ruthless at the top end with the chances we’re creating, we can be a strong force this year.”

McLaughlin believes that the differing manner of Cliftonville’s goals demonstrated adaptability in attack, with Hale’s inch-perfect curler opening the scoring before Curran took advantage of a loose ball to turn home amid a goalmouth scramble – but the concession of the Ports’ strike came as a source of frustration.

“We kept the pressure on after a corner wasn’t cleared properly,” he recalled.

“Sometimes you need to grind out ugly goals as well as the nicer ones. Ronan’s was good build up play and a good finish, whereas Currany’s was more grinding it out, keeping the ball in the 18-yard box, so there was a bit of both sides there.

“I’ve been a bit sore on our defensive unit – not the defenders but as us a defensive block – about not keeping a clean sheet now in five games and they’ll hear about it again on Monday night because it’s important we keep pushing for clean sheets. We were very good at it last year and it’s important we get back to that.”