Ballinamallard United boss Gavin Dykes says that his side will only focus on themselves as they head to the Oval this Saturday for a meeting with Glentoran.
The Glens new manager Gary Haveron will take charge of his second game following last week’s narrow loss to Linfield and you may expect that a new manager will get a reaction from his players. Dykes though feels that all his side can do is concentrate on their own game as they look to stay ahead of the East Belfast side in the table.
“We can only control what we do, we can’t control what Glentoran do and the impact a new manager will have. They were very unfortunate last week, from what I’m told they probably deserved something out of the game, and the Oval is a difficult place to go at the best of times, but we’ll go there in a good run of form. Apart from the Crusaders game we have done quite well recently so we’ve nothing to fear,” he commented.
The Mallards good run of form includes three wins from their last four league games although Dykes is not about to get overly excited and simply want his players to continue to work hard.
“We know ourselves that if we play to our potential and we get the work-rate and honesty that the players have shown me then we are a match for anybody. I didn’t panic when we lost five on the spin and I’m not going to get carried away if we win a few on the spin. We have a way of working, it is a good group of lads and we will go to Glentoran and approach it like any other game,” he added.
Ballinamallard should go to the Oval though in a confident frame of mind after last Saturday’s win over Dungannon. Goals from James McKenna and Adam Lecky sealed the win for the Mallards at Ferney Park and Dykes felt it was his side’s best performance of the season to date.
“I thought we were very good and that is probably the best we’ve been overall for 90 minutes. We have got bits and pieces through games but I think over 90 minutes we were very good and everybody performed well. 
“We got two good goals and probably could have got a few more on the counter-attack and we worked really hard when we didn’t have the ball, which is the minimum that you have to do. 
“I’m happy but you only get three points for it and we move on to a tough run of games coming up with Glentoran away, Dungannon away in the cup and then away to Linfield,” said Dykes.
For the second home game in a row there was a goal for captain McKenna and his manager can’t speak highly enough of him.
“The biggest battle I had  was to talk him out of retirement and for everybody concerned I’m delighted he stayed on. He is a great leader in the dressing room and he is 100 percent committed in everything he does and all the players look up to him. He is also getting into the box and getting a few goals and long may it continue,” he stated.
Saturday also provided only a second clean sheet in the league for Dykes’ charges with the manager pleased with their defensive display.
“We have a very young side and very young defenders in particular and they are going to make mistakes but  you have to allow them to make mistakes because that’s how they will develop. 
“We defended really well, James McGrath didn’t really have a lot to do and hopefully we can build on it,” he added.
The game also saw another appearance for 16 year old Niall Owens while Callum Frempong was included on the bench and Dykes insists that he has no problem throwing in young players.
“If you go back through my history as a manager, I’ve no problem throwing kids in. The one thing that you get with young lads like Niall Owens is that they have no fear. 
“We have a good bunch of young lads here and the more local identity the better as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
Dykes does though have a couple of injury worries ahead of Saturday’s game against the Glens.
“We have a couple of knocks, Shane McCabe was great last week but he hasn’t trained all week and we have to monitor him as he is very important to us.
“ It’s also touch and go whether Gary Armstrong or Jason McCartney will make it or not but we’ll know more later in the week,” said Dykes.