Shiels admits basement battle against Ports is massive

DEAN Shiels admits tomorrow (Friday) evening’s bottom-of-the-table clash with Portadown is a massive game.

Dungannon Swifts and the Ports are rock bottom of the Danske Bank Premiership without a single point between them.

It’s doesn’t look particularly promising for either team, albeit it’s only six games into the 2022-23 campaign.

Nevertheless should there be a loser on Friday evening that will inevitably ramp up the pressure.

Last weekend Swifts suffered a sixth straight league defeat at Newry City to leave them propping up the rest on goal difference.

Granted Dungannon were handed a difficult run of fixtures to start the season but they would have expected to have some points on the board at this stage.

Despite his team’s woeful start, Shiels insists he’s feeling no added pressure.

“No not at all, I just want the team to win,” he said.

“The pressure is obviously there for the team to win; no the only pressure I feel is around the performance levels.

“I feel we have to perform better; the points will come. The performance levels for spells simply weren’t good enough against Newry; we didn’t take our chances. We have to perform better, especially at home.

“We have performed really well in games like Glentoran, Cliftonville and other games and when we do then we look a really, really good side at times.

“We need to get points against any team when you are down at the bottom; not just the teams around you. I’m looking forward to the game on Friday night and hopefully we can get a positive result.”

Dungannon’s cause hasn’t been helped with a catalogue of early season injuries.

That continued on Friday night against Newry with striker Joe McCready coming off.

Ryan Mayse, Marc Walsh and Darren Cole are all fighting their way back to fitness while James Knowles is carrying a knock.

Long-term absentee Darragh McBrien is having yet another scan tomorrow (Friday) and Shiels is hoping to have some positive news on that front.

Whatever team Swifts put out against Portadown, Shiels insists it’s a real opportunity to kick-start their season.

“We need to get going, we have had a turbulent start to the season both on and off the pitch,” he continued.

“Hopefully with a home game we can get our season underway. It’s a big game, there is no doubt.

“We have been good in games, we have been really poor in games and we can’t find any consistency with injuries and stuff like that.

“We have a big opportunity on Friday to get our season underway; we’ll be putting everything into it.

“I’m not bothered about them; I’m trying to get ourselves right. We need to get our own house in order and try and hit some performance levels and hopefully that’ll be enough to secure the points.”