Andy Little’s hat-trick fired Ballinamallard Res into the semi-final of the George Wilson Cup as they came from behind to register a 3-2 win over Dungannon Swifts Reserves at Stangmore Park last Thursday night.

The result means that Scott Robinson’s side top the group with three wins out of three and the manager was delighted with the performance.

“That’s two years in a row that we have reached the semi-finals and the boys were delighted with it after the game. It’s a great end to the season for them and they deserved the win as apart from a 20 minute spell at the end of the first half, I thought we bossed the game,” he commented.

The Mallards had produced a strong display the previous Monday when they defeated Portadown Reserves and they followed on from that by starting Thursday night’s encounter in a similar manner.

The first Ballinamallard chance of the night arrived after 12 minutes when Kane Connor’s low drive was pushed around the post by Swifts goalkeeper Alvin Rouse while from the resultant corner Leon Carters headed over the top.

And three minutes later the away side took the lead. Connor, who was a threat down the right hand side throughout, was once again involved as he fired the ball across to Little whose shot took a deflection en route to the back of the net.

Dale Noble then had an opportunity to double the lead when he received a superb reverse pass from Ciaran Smith but Noble’s curling effort was just past the post.

However, Dungannon were to hit back after this and they were on level terms when Jamie Tomelty got on the end of a cross to tuck the ball away. This goal lifted the home side and they enjoyed their best spell of the game over the remainder of the half but Ballinamallard stood firm as the sides went in level at the interval.

The Mallards had a chance to regain the initiative early in the second half but Little’s effort was narrowly wide and instead it was Dungannon who were to go on and take the lead as Tomelty netted his second of the game with a cracking drive that gave goalkeeper Stefan McCusker no chance.

With 16 minutes to go though the youthful Mallards side were back on level terms as Little met Johnny Courtney’s cross from the left with a first time shot that hit the back of the net. And with the game in the 89th minute the Fermanagh side were to snatch a late winner that sealed their place in the last four. Davy Elliott found Lee McNulty and although his shot came off the juncture of the crossbar and post, Little showed the greater desire to get to the rebound as he got between two defenders to dive in and head the ball home as the Mallards recorded a 3-2 victory.