Steve Feeney marked his 100th senior appearance for Ballinamallard with the opening goal against Coleraine to secure a valuable three points.

The centre back joined the Mallards while they were in the Championship and was an influential figure in the team as they won the league title in his first season with the club, and he admits he has enjoyed his time at the club.

“I love it up here,” he admitted. “I really enjoy being around the club and everyone has been very good. I came in the last season in the Championship so it was a nice start by winning the league and getting into the Premier. Hopefully we will stay up and have another year of Premiership football next year as well.” The former Galway City and Sligo Rovers player was predominantly played a striker in his early days at the club and netted a hat-trick against Ards in the club’s promotion push, but in recent seasons he has been a key figure alongside Mark Stafford at the heart of the Mallard’s defence. This season his appearances have been restricted by injury, but he is delighted to have reclaimed a starting spot following his recovery.

“I had a hamstring tear and came back into the team after the disappointing performance at Warrenpoint, so it probably helped me that the boys were so hungry to prove that we are a good side,” he said. “I’m happy to be back in the team and we are picking up good points at the minute.” It was a feisty encounter with Coleraine on Saturday with Feeney’s header from a corner helping the Mallards on their way to a crucial victory.

“John Currie put in a great cross four or five yards out and luckily enough I got a good clean connection and thankfully it went in,” he said. “It was probably not our best performance in the last few weeks but the three points were the most important thing. It was a very competitive game. Coleraine were obviously scrapping for points as well and trying to push for the top six, and we were fighting for our lives. The last two or three weeks there has been great intensity in our training and the boys have brought that out onto the pitch and we are not backing down from anyone.” As well as forming a crucial part of the defence, Steve also has also taken on a coaching role with the club this season and has been balancing both jobs in training. “Some nights Whitey gives me no coaching and lets me concentrate on getting the football side of things sorted, and sometimes I might just take the warm up side of things,” he said. “I’m definitely enjoying the coaching side of things and it is where I want to go when I stop playing. It’s great learning off Whitey and Brian and Willie, the goalkeeping coach. I’m really enjoying both sides of things at the moment.” As the season approaches a crucial stage Steve’s experience will be important in ensuring Ballinamallard pick up enough points to avoid relegation, and he believes Saturday’s encounter with bottom club Institute will make the start of a revival in their away form, which has been poor throughout the current campaign.

“Our form away from home hasn’t been good enough but the last couple of weeks we have had a few meetings about that and I think next week everyone will see a different Ballinamallard away from home,” he said. “Institute is a huge game. We want to improve our away form and they are down at the bottom at the moment and we need to go there and pick up three points. We have been disappointed with how we have done away from home and three points is our target.”