Ballinamallard United manager Gavin Dykes has acknowledged the importance of tomorrow (Friday) night’s clash against Portadown as his side look to maintain the gap between themselves and the bottom two sides in the table.
Dykes accepts that the Mallards have not been good enough in the games against those teams below them in the table and he is keen to put that right, starting on Friday night.
And it is a busy period for the Mallards who will have the chance to avenge Monday’s derby loss to Dungannon Swifts when they return to Stangmore Park on Tuesday night for a second league meeting between the sides in eight days.
Indeed, Dykes is hopeful of having a couple of new faces in his squad for the trip to Dungannon with the Mallards expecting to complete the signing of 23 year old former Derry City and Finn Harps striker Ryan Curran to go along with experienced goalkeeper Richard Brush.
First though is a crunch meeting with a Portadown side who have started to find their feet under new boss Niall Currie and Dykes knows that his side have to improve their form against those sides around them.
“Portadown have beaten us twice and if we are to move away from where we are we have to take points against teams lower than us and we haven’t done that against Portadown or against Carrick so it is a massive game for us,” said Dykes.
“We knew that Portadown were going to get a bounce, when a new manager comes in that always happens. However, we can’t control what Portadown or Carrick do, we can only control what we do and as far as I’m concerned, if we stay where we are it will have been a successful season. It is going to be a battle right to the end though but hopefully we’ll get a few new bodies in which will be a help us in the second half of the season,” he added.
Ballinamallard will be without Liam McMenamin following his red card on Monday but Adam Lecky should return from injury while Shane McGinty is available having served a suspension.
The Mallards boss has also confirmed that he has tied down attacker Ryan Mayse to a longer deal which is part of the building process at the club.
“Ryan Mayse has signed a new deal which will keep him at the club this year and next year which is important and we are pleased with that. 
“It is a building process and I think that the players we have in here this year will be better for it. It is just a matter of surviving in the division and hopefully then building on it.”
Dykes watched his side concede a late goal on Monday in their defeat to Dungannon but he thought his side were worthy of something out of the game.
“I thought we did well and deserved something from it. Up to the point when they were awarded a penalty we didn’t look in trouble. It was a silly challenge to make in that area as there was no danger and all of a sudden they score and they are back in it. Up to that I didn’t think that they looked like scoring at all. I’m disappointed from that sense but we have to get on with it and we have a big game against Portadown and then we go back up to Dungannon on Tuesday night,” he said.