Portadown defender Lee Chapman will not let the “underdog” tag determine his side’s performance in Sunday’s crunch BetMcLean League Cup Final, when they face pre-match favourites Linfield at Windsor Park.
Chapman has become a mainstay in the Championship team since joining from Dundela in January 2023, and the defender has been a key player in the squad’s impressive cup runs this year.
These runs have included lifting the Mid-Ulster Cup after demolishing Premiership outfit Dungannon Swifts 5-2; reaching the quarter-finals of the Irish Cup, losing valiantly to Cliftonville, and now Sunday’s final.
Chapman cannot help but be excited about the occasion as it comes into focus.
“It’s a massive game for us.” He said.
“We’ll start looking forward to it and try to enjoy the occasion and give the best account of ourselves.
“We won the Mid-Ulster Cup in January which was big for the club and this is even bigger.
“If we do manage to do it - although Linfield are obviously heavy favourites - it would be great.
“The fans are getting a day out to enjoy themselves and I’m sure the people with the drums will be there cheering us on every step of the way.
“All we can do is prepare the best we can, give the best account of ourselves and hope for a little bit of luck.”
They will certainly require a stroke or two of luck to overcome the reigning champions. David Healy’s side saw off Coleraine 2-0 in last year’s final thanks to goals from Chris Shields and Joel Cooper, the former will miss Sunday’s showpiece due to injury, and will desperately want to retain the title.
Facing the cream of Irish League talent, how does Chapman believe his side can deal with the underdog crown, when they have been so used to having the favourites tag attached to their chests in this year’s Championship campaign?
“It’s definitely different to what I’ve experienced previously with playing in the bottom-half of the Premiership and being the team that is sitting in playing against bigger teams,” the ex-Ballymena United player said.
“It’s a different dynamic in terms of the expectation that’s on you, but obviously the expectation is on us in the Championship for a reason and we have to manage that, take that and use it to empower ourselves to do better and dominate games.
“It’ll be a nice change to go in and play against Linfield and try to do to them what some teams have done to us this season.”
The Co Armagh club currently sit third in the Playr-Fit Championship and harbour real hopes of gaining promotion back to the top-flight, after being relegated last season. For Chapman, the main aim of the season promotion remains the main aim despite the positive cup runs.
“”It does. It was the main aim from the start of the season.
“There are three or four teams there on similar points all going for it so it’s all still to play for.
“Before the split we still have to play Institute and Bangor and then you have the split against those teams and Dundela.
“There are points that will be dropped but a team like Portadown needs to be playing in the Premiership against big teams like Linfield week in, week out.”
For this weekend though it will be cup and not the league top of the list for Chapman and his team-mates, and he hopes to end a long 15-year wait since the Reds last lifted the trophy after enduring some difficult years.
“Definitely. The club has been through some tough times in recent years with being relegated and coming up and down.
“The most important thing for us is to get promoted back to the Premiership and consolidate that, but the cup runs are always a nice bonus, and it gives everyone something to look forward to in the calendar.
“Hopefully it’s a good day out for all.”
