Chris Crilly may be one of the older players in the squad, but the defender has made the most of his experience to rise through the ranks and become a first team regular this season.

“At 30 years of age it could well be the best football I’ve ever played,” admitted Chris. “Even at that age I’m looking to improve and Whitey spoke to me at the start of the season and went over a few things to look at and see what areas I need to work on. I did that and I got my chance in the team and I’ve kept it. I’m really enjoying it!” While Ballinamallard’s first team players were revelling in the excitement of the Premier League after their promotion to the top flight, Chris Crilly was wondering if his chances of playing at the highest level would ever come.

The versatile full back had won the Intermediate Cup with Ballinamallard in 2011 before a spell with Lisbellaw, but he had returned to the Mallards’ second string team to help them win the Reserve League title.

Last season he managed five appearances for the first team, but this season he has established himself as a first team regular, having already more than doubled that tally after a series of solid performances at right back.

Having made the breakthrough, Chris knows he will have to maintain his current form if he is to hold on to his starting spot.

“I’m not taking anything for granted and I’m not resting on my laurels,” he said. “It’s a good strong squad this year and there is a lot of competition for places. It is vitally important that each of us put in the performances to keep the shirt because there are lads fighting hard to get our shirts and it’s up to us to keep our place. Personally I’ve been happy with the way I’ve been playing and the way the whole back five have been playing, and it’s important that we keep that up.” The most recent good performance came in the home defeat of Warrenpoint, and Chris admits the players were well aware of the importance of grabbing three points off the league’s bottom club.

“Before the game Whitey stressed that there was seven points between us and with a win it would go to ten, so it made it very important to get the win and increase that gap,” he said. “Going forward I thought we threatened and every time we went forward I thought we were going to score. Defensively as well I thought we were solid bar the goal we gave away. It was a great performance and a good win. We needed that.” Having disposed of Warrenpoint, the Mallards face a massive trio of fixtures with games away to Glentoran and Linfield in the league before the League Cup semi-final against Ballymena.

“We have a few big games but we will just have to take it one game at a time,” said Chris. “Next week it’s the Oval and then its Windsor and then we have the semi-final to look forward to. There are a lot of boys looking the shirt for that game but in the next couple of games it’s important to get points in the league because that is our bread and butter. We can’t take our focus off that because of the semi-final.”