Jim Ervin Apologizes to Ballymena Supporters Following Portadown Loss

Ballymena United manager Jim Ervin issued an apology to the club’s supporters after his team experienced a third consecutive Irish Premiership loss, a 3-0 home defeat inflicted by Portadown. This defeat marks a series of successive losses for the Braidmen against Coleraine, Crusaders, and the Ports, following an impressive eight-game winning streak that had propelled them to the top of the league table. Ervin characterized his team’s performance that evening as an “absolute disaster,” noting that second-half goals from Josh Ukek, Ryan Mayse, and Eamon Fyfe secured a victory for Portadown, which the Ballymena manager conceded was “thoroughly deserved.” “We were poor from start to finish. Extremely disappointed because we collapsed after the first goal. That’s probably the most disappointing thing,” Ervin stated. “I’m absolutely gutted for the fans who’ve come out again tonight in numbers and we’ve let them down a bucket full.” While the Ballymena players had been praised for their displays during their winning streak, Ervin emphasized that they must now “be brave enough to accept the criticism as well.” “We can’t get too down. We need to respond. We need everybody up and at it,” Ervin further commented. “The naivety in the defending for our goals was really, really stupid. I’m disappointed in the manner that we’ve conceded. Portadown controlled it from start to finish tonight.”