Port and parcel

Jim Magilton says this season’s previous clashes with Portadown should make Cliftonville fully aware of what to expect when the sides go head-to-head at Solitude tomorrow.

After overcoming Niall Currie’s side 1-0 on the opening weekend of the Sports Direct Premiership campaign, the Reds fell to a 2-0 reverse in December, where first-half red cards for Conor Pepper and Jonny Addis contributed to an afternoon to forget at Shamrock Park.

Magilton was impressed with the Ports on both occasions and anticipates they’ll deliver another display to be reckoned with this weekend.

“They were very good back in the game right at the start of the season,” he said.

“I do think we deserved to win on the day but there’s no doubting Portadown competed very well and could have taken something.

“The next time we met, they beat us and they beat us well. They deserved their win and, as well as they did for themselves, we were awful on the day and deserved to lose. Discipline cost us and when you’re two goals and two players down by half-time, you’re left with a mountain to climb that’s nearly impossible, and so it proved for us.

“They’ve shown how good they are all season long, so we’d be foolish to expect anything different from them now.

“Niall will set them up really well as he always does and I’m sure they’ll go and do their jobs and perform for him. They’ve got lots of good experience in their side but, as much as we’re aware of the threat they carry, we know that we have to produce.

“We’re at home and our fans will expect us to go out and put on a performance from them. I’m sure it’ll be a good game between two committed teams but we’ve got to believe that we can come out on top.”

Cliftonville v Portadown
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Tickets
Adults: £15
Concessions: £10
Availability: General Sale
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