Linfield Manager David Healy on Challenging Victory Against Portadown

Linfield manager David Healy stated that his team faced a significant challenge to secure their 2-1 victory over Portadown at Windsor Park, a result that extends their lead at the top of the Irish Premiership table to eight points. Healy remarked that his players were “made to work” for the win. The decisive goals for “the Blues” came from substitute Chris McKee, who netted a quickfire double, ultimately helping Linfield to solidify their position at the league’s summit. Healy expressed satisfaction with his side’s performance, particularly highlighting a noticeable improvement in the second half following what he described as a frustrating initial period of play. Speaking to BBC Sport NI, Healy acknowledged the opposition’s effort, stating, “It was a tough game, you have to give Niall Currie] and his team credit, they made us work for it.” He further elaborated on the team’s display, adding, “First half we weren’t quite at the standard and we got our joy second half and we got big goals early in the second half.” The Linfield boss also conveyed his pleasure regarding the team’s positive response after their recent defeat to rivals Glentoran at the Oval. Healy commented on the importance of such a reaction, saying, “There’s a lot of noise made about any result or performance and when you lose a Glentoran game it’s important to respond in a positive manner and we’ve done that.”