When checking your fixture list you'll be wondering how on earth Coleraine our playing Portadown this Saturday and then again the following Saturday, well don't panic, it's simple - This Saturday we face Portadown at home in the Carling Irish Premiership, the following week we face Portadown away in the CIS Cup Quarter Final at Shamrock Park. Simples.
People will debate which game is more important to win, well I think their both as important as each other, it's important we beat Portadown in the league as last season they defeated us twice and in the other game we only drew, which ended up costing us a place in the top six. Where as in the cup, we all have special memories of last seasons cup run in which we reached the final, so winning the cup tie and reaching the semi finals would be a great boost for the club and fans on the build up to Christmas. It would be nice to go into the new year with a semi final awaiting us and dreams of another trip to Windsor to make up for last seasons disappointment.
A worrying stat for Coleraine is that in our last four games against Portadown we have lost three times and drew once, conceding 12 goals and scoring four goals. Hopefully this Saturday we can finally get a win over the Ports. Portadown like ourselves find themselves at the wrong end of the table however the way both teams are currently playing any team could win this game, with our current form god knows what we can expect from our team on saturday afternoon, i just hope Leon Knight if fit again and can lift the team after last saturdays shambolics.
Last weekend the Ports lost at home to Glentoran when Matty Burrows scored a stopage time winner for the second time this season against Portadown as the Glens won 1-0, Coleraine also lost away to Donegal Celtic in what was a poor performance from Coleraine who played against ten men after DC had a man sent off in the first minute. Platt will be looking a reaction from his players and the Coleraine fans will be demanding nothing less than three points on saturday afternoon, anything less will be unacceptable.
Coleraine who have been so inconsistent this season owe the fans who have been loyal yet again this season some consistency and it's about time we put an unbeaten run together over the next month, we can't afford to let the gap widen between us and the top six. Our recent form guide now shows as lost, win, lost, win, lost, which is worrying, we must go on a good run and pick up points consistently and move into the top six ASAP.
So on Saturday when MBE Ronnie, his tash and the redmen come to the showgrounds the players who pull on the stripes must stand up and be counted and prove to the fans that they are a good team and take three points from this game and start climbing the table.
The Ports who last season pipped us to 6th place have struggled this season, they currently lye 2nd bottom in the table, which is strange for Portadown considering the squad they have, also they have only won twice in nine league games away from home this season, but with our current form i wouldn't be surprised if they picked up their third away win, however a home win for us would open the gap between us and Portadown to seven points and hopefully move us up the table.
Hopefully the team can erase the fans memory of last saturdays shocking performance and give the Bannsiders something to cheer about as we head in to the festive month of December.
C'mon the Bannsiders
Match Info
Portadown Manager -Ronnie McFall
Opponents one to watch - Kevin Branniff
Portadown' nickname - The Reds
Coleraine - Aaron Caning is suspended
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