Ballinamallard Reserves were crowned Division Three champions on Saturday, after a 4-1 victory over Newtownstewart.

The young Mallards claimed the title with two matches to spare after two goals from Nick Plamer and one each from Conor Stewart and Ethan Thompson secured victory at Fisher Park.

“I’m delighted for all the players,” said Reserves manager Ally Irwin. “It was a great team effort. The players had to work really hard in every game this year because despite the fact we have won the league with two games remaining it has not been plain sailing.

"I’m also happy for the coaching team. Nigel Frazer and I have been together for a long time and Cian Curry was with us last year and Matty Nixon joined us this year. The season is not over for any of us yet though.

"We all still have our own personal performance targets both as individuals and as a team that we want to meet before the end of the season, and there is a league cup coming up that we want to target as well.”

Irwin felt that the victory over Newtownstewart to seal the title was one of their better performances of the season: “I thought from early in the game we were in control.

“We had a scare in the first two minutes when they hit the post, but apart from that, we didn’t give them anything that could be considered a clear-cut opening in the first half.

"I thought we were good for the four goals. I was a little disappointed in the manner we conceded the one goal, but aside from that momentary loss of concentration, I thought we were in control and played some really good football.”

Before kick-off, Newtownstewart had put together a run of 10 league games without defeat to move into the second promotion spot, and they carved out the first effort at goal after two minutes but the ball came back off the post and safely into the arms of Mallards' goalkeeper Calvin Brown.

The home team were dominating possession in the early stages, and they made the breakthrough after six minutes when Kealan Fitzpatrick threaded a ball out wide to Conor Stewart.

The winger beat his full-back and drilled a low cross across the face of the goal for Nick Palmer to convert at the back post.

Ballinamallard continued to press forward with both Adam McCreery and Danny Barker firing narrowly off target.

Fitzpatrick then beat the offside trap but was forced wide as he attempted to round the keeper, and his cutback was dragged wide by Stewart.

Barker then stabbed Aaron Smyton’s cross the wrong side of the front post, and McCreery headed Shane Speak’s corner wide from close range.

As the first half neared an end Newtownstewart mounted several dangerous breakaways.

Corey Flanagan just failed to reach Tiernan Mayse’s low cross, and moments later a long ball into the area was punched clear by Brown but the loose ball was turned goalwards and Cameron Lucas had to clear off the line before Mayse headed over on the stroke of half time.

A minute into the second half Ballinamallard doubled their lead when Stewart’s first time lay off from a long diagonal pass presented Palmer with a sight of goal, and he drilled a low shot from the edge of the penalty area into the bottom corner. Palmer then had a shot touched around the post, but from the resulting corner, Speak’s cross made it through to Stewart, who tapped in from the edge of the six-yard box.

The visitors pulled a goal back when Mayse controlled a cross from the right and finished low inside the far post, but Ballinamallard were quickly back on the front foot and Cathal McGuillion had to save a Luke St. Ledger header and a low shot from Barker.

Substitute Justin McBride, returning from a season-long injury, was crowded out as he attempted to score with his first touch, but the victory was sealed in the closing minutes when Ethan Abercrombie lifted the ball over the full-back and whipped in a low cross that Ethan Thompson slotted into the bottom corner.

The win secured Ballinamallard the league title, but they can still complete an unbeaten league season if they avoid defeat in their last two fixtures.