Hi °C | Lo °C Let's talk. That’s what Portadown manager Ronnie McFall told his victorious players as they celebrated their promotion back to the Premiership on Saturday.
And that’s also what McFall wants to do to the players that he has targeted to bring to Shamrock Park next season.
While the visitors dressing room was jubilant after the Ports 2-0 win over Donegal Celtic — thanks to a David Munster own-goal and a late Gary McCutcheon strike — clinched the Championship title, McFall’s personal celebrations were muted.
Securing his team’s route out of intermediate football after a single season — having missed the deadline to apply for the top flight a year ago — was arguably the biggest challenge McFall has faced in almost 30 years as a manager.
With that done, McFall is already switching his focus to next season, when the Ports will plan to be among the challengers in the top flight once again.
“It’s job done, simple as that,” said McFall.
“It wasn’t pretty, there wasn’t much football played, but that didn’t matter. We came to win the game and we did that.
“I haven’t been able to make plans for next season because we weren’t certain what league we’d be in.
“I haven’t been able to sit down and offer anything to my own players and players who I would like to bring to the club wouldn’t talk to us until they knew the situation.”
