Mallards set for season start

Editorial Department • Published 5 Aug 2010 16:30 0 Comments

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New signings Chris Curran, Ciaran Harpur, Darren Teague and Gary Maguire.

Ballinamallard United will get their league campaign up and running on Saturday with an away game against Glebe. Whitey Anderson's side have cemented themselves as a top six outfit over the past two seasons and with the manager having strengthened his squad with some quality additions over the summer they will be looking to push on against this season. Anderson has drafted in former Manchester United Youth player Chris Curran, ex-Churchtown player Ciaran Harpur who has returned home having spent two years at Southampton as well as Darren Teague from Strathroy Harps and Gary Maguire from Irvinestown Wanderers.

However, he has also been hit with injuries to key players with the likes of David Kee, James McKenna and Michael Kerr likely to be missing the opening spell of the campaign.

Pre-season has gone well for the Blues with wins over Mountjoy and Fivemiletown, new signing Curran scoring in both, while last Saturday they had a great run out at Stangmore Park in the 4-3 defeat to Dungannon Swifts in the Gary Bownes Memorial Cup. Duwayne McManus (2) and Maguire registered the goals.

Anderson has been delighted with the build up to the new season and feels that the new signings will bring extra quality to the squad.

"I am very happy with how pre season has turned out even though its been our third season without a pre season friendly at home due to improvements at the club. It took us a while to get there but the four signings are quality players and who will add a new dimension to our squad," said Anderson.

He added: "Ryan Whitley has put the players through their paces and he has brought a new professionalism to the fitness and conditioning component in that period. With Davey Kee, James McKenna and Michael Kerr being long term injury concerns it was important to get the spaces filled. Short term injuries have been picked up by Leon Carters, Conor McGuigan and Richard Flaherty but hopefully they will return in the not to distant future. We have also a number of young players who can make an impact this season and our squad is one I am looking forward to working with. The size and quality of the squad will ensure healthy competiton for places."

While four new faces have came in at Ferney Park, Anderson has lost striker Seamus Quigley, a player the manager was sorry to see go.

"Seamus Quigley has been our only player to leave from last season. He only played in a limited number of games, however he was the type of player that we needed up front. He has returned to Clones Town and its unfortunate he couldn't stay on, as he is a player with a lot of ability and potential. We wish him welll in the future," he commented.

Anderson is happy with the progress both on and off the pitch but he is keen for the team to continue to move in the right direction.

"This is the club's third year in the second tier of the Irish league, now known as the Championship. In all honesty the team has probably exceeded the expectations of many including ourselves. The task now is to not sit still, but to try and improve and make progress both on and off the pitch. A lot of hard work in that respect has gone on over the last few years and the Chairman and Committee deserves tremendous praise for their efforts in providing a base for the best young players in the area to compete at this level," stated Whitey.

And the aim for this season is to try and clinch a best ever finish in the Championship although he expects this to be the most difficult season to date.

"Our first priority is to ensure our Championship status for next season and then to improve upon our best position of fifth achieved two years ago. We will ensure together that as a group we work hard for each other and when out on the pitch compete and play the game the way I believe it should be played. What that means to me is getting the ball down and players expressing themselves when the opportunity arises. We have a relatively young squad who have worked extremely hard in pre season and are without doubt looking forward to this year's challenge. I believe that this year will provide our sternest test yet," he commented.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 05 Aug 10

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