THE MATTHEW TIPTON COLUMN
Tipton. INPT06-260
“I FEEL I must start this week’s column with a mention of Shane McCabe following his decision to depart from the club.
“Whilst we are all extremely disappointed from a professional and footballing viewpoint – especially the timing of it – I know for a fact it was not a decision Shane made lightly.
“It was something that had been playing on his mind for many weeks.
“As he has said to me, he felt that it had been having a negative effect on his performances for us and he didn’t want to play in a half-hearted manner.
“Over a person’s life/career, many important decisions must be made and if Shane felt he wasn’t going to be 100 per cent committed in his displays for Portadown as his mind would be on playing for Fermanagh then it was the correct move for him and the football club.
“On a personal level, I will miss Shane around the place as he has been a great character with which to share a dressing room over the past year.
“I am sure all the boys in the dressing room wish him all the best in the future, even if we would prefer still to have him in the trenches for the season’s run-in.
“Shane’s departure will now present opportunities to other players in the squad to step up and make a mark.
“On Tuesday night we had young Matthew Paget and not-so-young Richard Clarke doing just that in midfield.
“It is quite right that Matthew will grab all the headlines thanks to his match-winning brace and all-action display.
“However, I felt that ‘Dicky’ Clarke was actually our ‘man-of-the-match’ with a fantastic display in the middle of the pitch.
“I am sure that Matthew can pick up an awful lot from playing alongside ‘Dicky’ and if he keeps on listening and learning as he has been doing so far then he may well go on to enjoy as long and successful career as our ‘OAP’.
“So, let’s see plenty of you out on Saturday away to Lisburn Distillery as we continue our push towards the top of the table.”
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Weather for Portadown
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South east
