Ballinamallard manager Harry McConkey feels that their opening fixtures in the Bluefin Sports Championship provide ‘a bit of everything’.
The fixtures for the new season were released at the end of last week and the Mallards will start with a home game against Limavady United on Saturday August 11 while their opening four games well also include games against title favourites Larne and Portadown and a derby encounter with Dergview.
“I smiled when I saw the fixtures because it gives you a bit of everything,” said McConkey, who is currently recovering from a recent operation.
 “It’s good to be at home for the first game because there is always an optimism at the start of every season, everybody looks forward to that first game with new faces about and we will hopefully have a nice new fresh surface to play on. 
Limavady have a new manager in Sean Friars and like everybody else they will want to start well.”
This is followed by a meeting with a fancied Larne outfit.
“We have an away game against Larne and that’s a game that I want my players to relish. It will be a difficult game for us but it will be good to get them early on in the season because teams sometimes do take time to get up to speed,” he added.
A derby against Dergview is next and McConkey believes that those games will be good for local football. 
“The last time the sides met I was the manager of Dergview. Those will be great games, derby games add that bit of spice and they are good games for local supporters.”
And to wrap up a tough opening four games is a home clash with the Ports.
“It is great to be bringing a quality team like Portadown down so early on so that should get a bit of interest around the club and it’s a game we are looking forward to,” said the Ducks boss.
With three of those four games at home, McConkey acknowledges that it is important to get points on the board early.
“No matter what league or competition you are in, it is important to get something on the board early and that’s what we will be trying to do. 
“Larne and Portadown are definitely big games for us early on and they will be big tests, indeed all four will be real tough challenges, but we have to try and get something out of them,” he added.