Belief is key to Ballinamallard turning around their poor run of results, according to manager Gavin Dykes.
Ballinamallard’s 3-1 defeat to Coleraine on Saturday was the Mallards sixth consecutive league loss and keeps them tenth in the Premier League table.
With a seven point gap to ninth the bottom three teams are already starting to get cut adrift of the rest, but with the Mallards still holding a twelve point advantage over Portadown the boss is confident they can start pulling clear of the bottom and avoid the tension of a late season relegation scrap.
“We are on a bad run but we have got to keep believing. I have no doubt it will change,” said Gavin.
“The players have been very honest with themselves. They have given everything they can and they are highly frustrated and annoyed. Nothing seems to be going right for them but it will change. I have no doubt about that.
“We are on a bad run and have lost six in the league but we are still in the same league position as we were before that poor run started. We can’t rely on other people but if we keep doing what we are doing and keep believing then I’m sure it will come good.”
Ballinamallard made a great start to Saturday’s match but after scoring early through Shane McGinty they failed to build on their advantage and Coleraine came from behind to take the points. Despite the defeat the manger was keen to remain positive.
“I thought we did a lot of good things and there are an awful lot of positives we can take from it,” he said.
“We scored a great goal that we had worked on in training but we conceded a soft goal from not defending a free kick properly.
“Then we started the second half really well and were the dominant side, but we caught out because of miscommunication by the players on the pitch and they scored. We are definitely a threat going forward and defensively we look very good but we shot ourselves in the foot.”
Next up for the Mallards is a home tie against Glenavon, who the Mallards defeated at Mourneview Park in September thanks to an injury time winner from Adam Lecky.
Dykes knows that win will count for little when they take to Ferney Park on Saturday but he is hopeful they can once again take the points.
“We did well up there but there are no two matches the same. Glenavon are a decent side. They are a huge club with a big budget and are contenders for the title. They have some fantastic players but we are at home and hopefully we can have a good go at them.”
With the busy Christmas fixture schedule not far away the Mallards are relieved to have several long term absentees on their way back to action, with defenders Chris Crilly and Colm McLaughlin nearing a return.
Colm McLaughlin has returned to light training, and the boss is looking forward to working with last season’s player of the year.
“In another two weeks he should be able to come into full training and once he gets a few reserves games under his belt he will be available for selection,” revealed Gavin.
“He has been great at training and he will be a valuable addition for us going forward. Chris Crilly has worked really hard and has played a few reserve games and the week after next he should be up to speed.
“He will be a valuable addition. He is an experienced lad, and every bit of help we can get we will take.”
One player who is set to be missing from the squad for an extended period is Gary Armstrong.
The loanee from Sligo Rovers has sustained an ankle injury and is set to undergo a scan to discover the extent of the damage.
The home tie against Glenavon will kick off at 3.00pm at Ferney Park as the Mallards bid to halt their bad run and slide towards the relegation zone.