Ballinamallard manager Gavin Dykes knows his side face a tough task this Saturday when they travel to Windsor Park to take on an in form Linfield side.
The Mallards were unfortunate not to return from Belfast with the three points last Saturday when they drew 1-1 with Glentoran at the Oval but it will be a tougher test this Saturday against David Healy’s Blues who are chasing leaders Crusaders at the top of the Premiership table. 
“I think anybody who knows anything about the league up here knows that Linfield are going to be very close to winning the title, if not winning it,” said Dykes. 
“I’ve seen a bit of them and they have been very impressive. We played them in the first game of the season and I thought we deserved something out of the game and in fairness to David Healy he said that. 
“It’s a different kettle of fish though going to Windsor Park and they are in a great run of form. I watched their match in the Scottish Challenge Cup against Queen of the South on Sunday and they played very well. 
“It is going to be difficult but again we will go and try and play. It is a big pitch so it should suit our style of play and it should be a good game of football,” revealed the new boss who has seen his side steadily improve.
Dykes is expecting to be without Shane McCabe for the game after the midfielder picked up a knock against Glentoran and he is hoping that he will have had no further injuries come out of last night’s cup encounter against Dungannon.
“Shane McCabe is out but it’s not as bad as we thought. His hamstring tightened up on him and it’s a warning sign, he has played a lot of football for us and we have to watch him.
We will assess after Wednesday night what way we are personnel wise and hopefully we can go and try and get something out of the game,” added Dykes.
The Mallards boss was disappointed last Saturday to finish up with only a point from the encounter against Glentoran with a couple of good chances wasted as the game ended in a draw
“We probably should have taken the three points. We played quite well, passed the ball well and created loads of chances. We were 1-0 up but we maybe should have been 2-0 up at half time and then we missed a couple of chances in the second half when we should have killed it off. 
“There was a 15 minute spell in the second half where they came into it really strongly but aside from that I felt we were well in control. It took us time to adjust to losing Shane McCabe because he gives us something we haven’t got but after that we got organised. I thought that it was a good performance from everybody involved and I’m disappointed we didn’t take three points because I thought we deserved it. Any day though you come out of Belfast with something isn’t a bad day,” he commented.
Adam Lecky was again on target for the Mallards as he bagged his sixth goal of the season while he also had an opportunity to add a second but fired narrowly over the bar.
“He was fantastic, he played really well and he caused them all sorts of problems. He was devastated after the game because he probably missed the easiest chance he had but he played really well and hopefully he can keep going that way,” said Dykes.
The fact that his side are creating chances though is something that is pleasing Dykes even if it does leave them more open at the back.
“I’ve said all along that we will create chances and there is only two games that we haven’t scored in. 
“The way we play, we are going to be a wee bit open, of that I’ve no doubt, but we are going to try and create chances and we are going to try to score goals and the odd time you will get punished at the back for doing things that way,” concluded the Ferney Park boss.