Irish Premiership: Currie out to end miserable Reds record

Niall Currie starts his managerial reign at Portadown aiming to end a nightmare run against Cliftonville.

"We are only one victory away from changing everything," said former Ards boss Currie.

"We'll go to Cliftonville and all I ask is for the every player to give every drop they have."

Cliftonville have moved into title contention with five wins and a draw in their last six league matches, leaving them six points behind leaders Crusaders.

Reds boss Gerard Lyttle has been named the Football Writers' Manager of the Month for November and he is unsurprisingly upbeat going into the Solitude encounter.

"We plan to continue our good run against Portadown on Saturday - we always seem to play well against them," said Lyttle.

"We have a really good record at home this season, and hopefully we'll go about our business as we have recently and that it's good enough for us."

Portadown are not the only side determined to halt a long, unwanted run of results on Saturday.

30th time lucky?

You have to go back to December 1994 for the last time Ards beat Linfield in the league - they have failed to do it again in their last 29 attempts.

Crusaders slipped up last weekend with a 2-2 against Glentoran and the pacesetters will aim to get back to winning ways at Ballinamallard.

Coleraine sit fifth with a four-point gap to Glenavon and the teams meet at Mourneview Park while resurgent Glentoran host Ballymena United.

Dungannon Swifts will be without suspended defender Andrew Burns for their Stangmore Park clash against Carrick Rangers.