It’s the period of the season that Alex Ferguson once described as ‘squeaky bum time’ and while Ballinamallard might not be chasing the title like Fergie’s side were, they are chasing a prize just as big for the club, retention of their place in the Premiership.
Indeed, Saturday could turn out to be the last Premiership game at Ferney Park for the forseeable future if they fail to get themselves out of trouble.
With four games to go the Mallards currently sit one point above bottom club Warrenpoint Town and with the pair to meet on Saturday in Ballinamallard’s final home game of the campaign, boss Whitey Anderson is targeting the win.
A win would lift Ballinamallard four points clear of Warrenpoint and would be a major boost going into the final three games and Anderson wants his side to be positive in their approach to the encounter.
“Our aim is to go out and win the game on Saturday,” said Anderson. “I’m not going to beat around the bush, our ultimate aim is to win and I’m not thinking of anything else. We want to focus and be positive, it’s our last home game of the season and we want to take the game to Warrenpoint. They have done exceptionally well to bring themselves back into it after looking dead and buried a couple of months ago but we’re the home team and we intend to take the game to them. We’ve been through this before, we have four games to go and a win on Saturday would be a big step forward for us.”
Saturday’s game is followed by a trip to Stangmore Park to face Dungannon Swifts so it is a key week for the Mallards in their quest for survival and Anderson feels that if his players can show the fighting qualities that they have shown over the last month then they will give themselves every chance of staying up.
On Saturday one of the disappointing things for me in the last third of the pitch we gave the ball away sloppily after we had got ourselves into good positions. We were trying to push our full backs on but we were wasteful in the way we used them. The reality was that our quality in the final third of the pitch wasn’t good enough and we have to improve that this week.
“The players have really dug in over the last five games. They have fought for every ball and every second ball and if you keep doing that you give yourself a chance. There’s a real desire and a positivity in the changing room that they are going to get the points to keep Ballinamallard in the premier league and it starts on Saturday,” he commented.
It is all set up for an exciting finish to the season and Anderson expects there will be plenty of twists before matters are concluded.
“It would be great if it was done and dusted and we were safe before the final game  but all you can do is take each game at a time. There will be a twist and a turn every game and every week and all you can do is focus on your own. It’s in our own hands and it’s up to ourselves to go out and deliver,” stated the Mallards manager.
He does though accept that they are going to have to be more prolific in front of goal. Defensively, the Mallards have been solid but they have struggled for goals and it is an area that Anderson knows they have to improve on during the final four games.
“The statistics show that we have scored less goals than everybody else in the league. We have conceded the least in the bottom six but we haven’t scored enough. 
"We need to change that but we have only four games to do it. You only win games by being brave and going forward and the players have to take responsibility now,” he added.
Last Saturday Ballinamallard played out a goalless draw against Portadown and with Carrick and Warrenpoint also drawing it left no change at the foot of the table.
“The players gave everything, they gave 100 percent and worked extremely hard and you could see the work that has been put in paid off in many respects. The pitch though was diabolical. 
"Not only did Portadown bring the pitch in on each side but the condition of it didn’t help either side. The reality is that you have to deal with these things and battle it out and my players battled it out,” he said.
Portadown have also been embroiled in controversy this week, receiving a £10,000 fine for making undisclosed payments to players.
For Ballinamallard, Warrenpoint and others at the foot of the table that punishment may appear on the light side where a points deduction or even relegation might have been an option.
However, Anderson was unwilling to comment on the matter.
"My only concern at the minute  is dealing with the Warrenpoint game and until we know exactly what Portadown have been fined for I can't make a comment," he said.