Cup rehearsal this weekend

The sides meet again next Saturday at Mourneview Park in Lurgan in the Co-operative Insurance Final, but there is still plenty to play for this Saturday.

Both teams can secure a top six finish, but for the Whites they know only a victory will secure that target.

“It’s clear for us - we have to win,” said manager Tommy Wright. “Portadown can draw or even lose and still make it if Coleraine fail to win against Crusaders. The fact we meet two weeks in a row and that it is a cup rehearsal does not bother me because there is something at stake. At the start of the season we could not have dared think we would be in this situation - in with a shout of a top six spot - so we have to grasp it with both hands.

“Portadown are the only team that were able to spend some money and bring players in during the transfer window and Ronnie McCall has seen the reward for that with improved results.

“They had been on a great run up until Linfield beat them this week, but they will be hurting from that and they will be coming here to try and make sure of their place in the top half. I don’t think either of the camps will be thinking about the Cup final until after the game. We need to carry our form from the last two games into this one. We played very well at Linfield and Shamrock Rovers without getting any reward. Sometimes that happens, but the players are not down and we will be going all out for the win.

“We have not won too many at home this season, but we did beat Portadown and we have a decent record against them so hopefully we can get the result we need.”