BIG MATCH INTERVIEW:  IFA Championship : Donegal Celtic v Portadown

Striker Braniff urges fans: Lets Hear You Roar!
By Mark Beattie

As the final day of a long season final comes to a close it shows no signs of letting up with probably the most important match coming right at the end. Portadown travel to Donegal Celtic's Suffolk Road knowing that a draw or win will mean they lift the Ladbrokes.com Championship title and get back to where they belong in the top league of local football, but if they suffer defeat they will have to look for promotion via the playoff against Premiership basement battlers Dungannon Swifts.

One of Portadown's key men this season has been striker Kevin Braniff, finally given a run of games as a striker he has had a bag full of goals and currently leads the clubs goals scoring charts with 27 so far and only one ahead of striker partner Gary McCutcheon but that doesn't concern him, "Obviously it would be nice to finish top goal scorer but the main thing is getting out of this league on Saturday and I don't care if Gary bags a hat trick as long as we win.".

The ex-Millwall front man knows how much of an effect the fans can have on the side and how much vocal backing can help spur the team on, "The fans have been brilliant for us this season they just never stop singing and I hope they will be doing the same this weekend, it really helps when the fans get behind us" said Braniff.

This season has been one that Kevin has enjoyed personally as well, picking up his first medal back in his homeland when the Ports won the Co-operative Insurance Cup, "Winning any cup is an achievement but to beat all the big clubs on the way even better" and he earmarked his personal outstanding performer, "John Convery has stood out for me this season, he is just a quality player and has been a real rock all year"

Speaking about Saturdays match and you could feel the anticipation and excitement as he spoke, "It's going to be a tough game both sides will want to win with probably a few tasty tackles here and there!" he said with a wry smile, knowing he will be in for some treatment himself with being brought up close to Suffolk Road, "But if all goes to plan we can come out on top and get promoted as Champions!!"

So here we have it, the long hard treks to new grounds, the long distance travelling, the grinding out results, the wet and windy nights, the hard slogging on tough pitches all boils down to this one. Simple as this, win and we are Champions. So let's make sure we make our presence felt and answer Braniff's rallying call, let's hear the Ports fans roar!