Ballinamallard United manager Whitey Anderson has urged his side to go out and win their crunch encounter against Carrick Rangers on Saturday and in doing so take any uncertainty out of the equation as the relegation battle reaches boiling point.
If the Mallards beat Carrick, they will play in the Premiership next season, it’s as simple as that. Any other result, and they are relying on results from elsewhere to decide their destiny.
“This is probably the most dramatic finish in the Premier League in terms of the relegation battle for many a year,” said Anderson. “There are four teams who could still be relegated and there is all sorts of permutations but all we’re concerned about is winning our game of football. If we do that then we are in the Premier League next season irrespective of what goes on elsewhere. If it’s a drawn game there is all sorts of permutations and we could still be in the Premier League but the only thing that is definite is that if we win on Saturday then we stay in the Premier League.”
There is no doubt that Saturday afternoon is going to be a tense one for those clubs involved in the scrap for survival and Anderson feels that it is important to have a relaxed atmosphere at training in the lead up to the game.
“It will be light-hearted and we will try and introduce a bit of fun and enjoyment into the training and let the players relax,” stated the Mallards boss.
He knows though that come match day it will be about having the desire to come through that will be a telling factor.
“At the end of the day it is going to be about guts, determination and desire. The players showed great mental attitude on Saturday against Ballymena. There was a lot of statistics fired at me last week about having never won at Ballymena but not only did we win but we recorded a victory after coming from behind for the first time this season. The players deserve great credit, they dug in and showed great commitment and that’s what we are going to need again this week.”
Last Saturday, Anderson took the decision not to be updated on results elsewhere during the game.
“I didn’t know the scores during the game at all. I decided I would just concentrate on our game but you got the sense from the crowd when it was 1-1 that maybe we are going to need a winner here. Then when you get the win, yes you are obviously overjoyed at getting your own result, but it is tempered a wee bit by the fact that the teams around you hadn’t dropped points. I would imagine though that Carrick Rangers and Warrenpoint felt exactly the same and maybe even more so as they probably didn’t expect us to get a result at Ballymena.,” he stated.
Keeping up to date this Saturday might though be crucial. Last Saturday was all about winning but this Saturday it is about making sure that they get the result that keeps them in the Premier League. How results elsewhere are going may determine the Mallards approach, especially late in the game.
“We haven’t spoke about that yet for this week but we will speak about it at training with the backroom team about what way we are going to manage it. I would imagine this week especially it would be important to have an idea at half time and midway through the second half to determine how we manage the game out,” he said.
The plan from the start though is to win the game and Anderson doesn’t expect either side to sit back.
“I expect both sides to have a go as I don’t think there is much point in us sitting in or them sitting in. I think both teams will come out. We may have to be careful in the way we manage the game as it goes on but from the first whistle we have to go out there and have a go at them,” commented Whitey.
The Mallards getting promoted to the Premiership has helped in giving local players the chance to experience football at the top table in the country and Anderson feels that it is vital that they stay in the top flight to maintain a local presence in the top flight and keep giving local players that opportunity to play Premiership football.
“There are young players who have been given an opportunity in the last four years to play in the Premier League where they may not have had the opportunity to do so if we were not in the top division. There is also other players who have gone on to play for other clubs in the Premier League and they might have done so only for Ballinamallard. It is vital that young players in this area get this opportunity and Ballinamallard can give that opportunity to them.  I think the vast majority of people in the Fermanagh and Western area want to see Irish League football being retained here and as far as I’m concerned, it also lifts the status of the local Fermanagh and Western league in the fact that a local Fermanagh and Western club are playing in the highest league in this country.”
And Anderson has no doubt about the size of the achievement it would be for the club and the players if they could retain their Premiership status.
“I told the players that if they win this game, in many ways it is like winning a trophy. It’s a different type of achievement but it is a vitally important one and one that they will be able to look back on with enormous satisfaction. I have to say the desire, commitment, hunger and workrate of the players has been excellent. I can see a real steel and determination among this squad of players to go and win the game at Carrick. They want to win the game and get it over with on Saturday with no need for a play-off.”
So, will Ballinamallard survive the battle on Saturday?
“I’m very confident that Ballinamallard Football Club will still be in the Premier League at 4.50pm on Saturday,” answered Whitey.