Linfield manager David Healy is taking nothing for granted when his table-toppers make the trip to Shamrock Park to play Portadown in this Saturday’s Sports Direct Premiership tie.
The Blues find themselves in the enviable position of having a 12-point lead at the top of the table over closest rivals Dungannon Swifts with 15 games remaining.
However, history tells us that there are no easy wins at the Portadown venue against the fourth-placed Co Armagh side who have exceeded all expectations so far in their maiden season back in the Premiership, and Healy expects another battle come Saturday afternoon.
“Niall (Currie) has done an incredible job at his hometown football club,” he said.
“I can only imagine the pressure, which is something I also feel here at Linfield. The challenges that potentially lie ahead if success doesn’t happen when you have that connection.
“Niall has come in, he has got them promoted and managed to build a really, really competitive team that are flying at the minute and will give us a stern test.”
The Ports defeated Loughgall last time out, but prior to that had a disappointing loss to Annagh United in the Irish Cup, but Healy does not believe this will hinder Currie’s men for the remainder of the season.
“I know there was a sense of disappointment when I spoke to Niall recently, when they lost to Annagh in the cup,” he acknowledged.
“But I think you have to look at the bigger picture and see that he has done an incredible job.
“So, as ever we look forward to locking horns on Saturday and we look forward to a good battle on the park.”
With Linfield welcoming a number of front-line players, including Kyle McClean and Robbie McDaid, back into the fold in recent weeks they have a depth of talent that most sides could only dream of and they have also got an in-form striker in the shape of Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Having had a sluggish start to the campaign the former Antrim senior footballer has now got seven goals to his name including a strike last week against Carrick Rangers and looks to be enjoying his football once more.
The sides drew at Shamrock Park 2-2 earlier in the season, and it would be an almighty effort if the Ports could repeat the trick, but don’t write off Currie and his men just yet in front of a bumper home crowd.