Ballinamallard manager Harry McConkey dedicated their win over Newry City to the supporters, as they claimed all three points in the season’s final game on Ferney Park.

City are all but certain of winning the Championship and securing promotion to the Premier League, but on Saturday Ballinamallard were more than a match for their opponents, with a BJ Banda penalty lifting spirits around Ferney Park.

“After all the disappointments, we wanted to give a great account of ourselves,” said manager Harry McConkey.

“We knew that if we could take all three points off the champions elect it would make a wee statement to people that we are not coasting and letting the season peter out.

“The players needed to show the supporters that they care, and that they want to maximise every single point that we can get now. Although its not enough to put us into a play off, it is important we try to finish somewhere we feel is more of a reflection on how our season has been, and the ability we have within the team.

“The supporters gave us great applause knowing it was our last game and it was good to see them in good spirits, which was the very least I wanted because underneath it all we all know we are disappointed.

“In our last three games we have beaten Annagh well, and beaten the champions elect, and were very unfortunate not to beat Loughgall, and that in itself is a wee statement that we are not very far away from what it takes to be up there.

“We just didn’t have the consistency at times throughout the season.”

McConkey opted to start with a youthful midfield of Reece Byrne and Ronan McKinley alongside the experienced Richard Clarke, although the in-form Patrick Ferry missed out when he failed a late fitness test following an ankle injury picked up in training.

Newry fielded a strong line up missing only John McGovern ahead of their Irish Cup semi-final, but it was the home team that came closest in the first half, with the Newry keeper making a good save from Byrne, and denying Banda when he was through one on one.

Rory Browne was also called into action in the Mallard’s goal, but it appeared the game was heading towards a goalless draw before Ballinamallard grabbed a winner with seven minutes remaining.

Mark Stafford won a header on the left flank and Duwayne McManus found Banda in the box. He was fouled and picked himself up to dispatch the spot kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

“The attitude was great. I felt we more than competed and from back to front I thought it was a very good collective effort,” said McConkey.

“The midfield battle was always going to be important. Newry came with the goal of getting at least a point that would give them the title and add to their momentum going into the Irish Cup semi-final, but I thought Macca (McIlwaine), BJ and Callum (Moorehead), along with Reece in behind them, that top four gave them a real headache.

“We battled so well with Clarkey and Ronan in the middle, and at the back with Ben McCann, Dean Curry and Ryan Morris and Darragh Byrne all acquitted themselves really well and marshalled their front line.

“We kept them relatively quiet but when they did get through Rory Brown pulled off a couple of very good saves in both halves, which is what you need. The reason we are where we are is our goal against column reads terribly compared to them and that is essentially the difference between being champions and not, but to come away with a clean sheet and battle as hard as we did was very pleasing.

“I was so pleased with the goal because it was a goal we created through our will to win. Duwayne (McManus) had the quality to see and play a wonderfully weighted pass.

“I know Mono hasn’t got a lot of game time, but he has played his part throughout the season for us and he would have had a lot more game time were it not for injuries. It was very brave of BJ to step up and take the penalty having missed his last one. It shows he was playing with confidence. He contributed not just to the winning goal but put in a real good shift all day and his man of the match award was justified.

“It’s great to see him still the leading scorer in his first season in the Championship.”

Ballinamallard complete their season with a trip this Saturday to H&W Welders.

Although promotion is beyond them, third place is still a possibility, and the manager wants to maintain their recent good run and finish the campaign on a high. “We look forward to the Welders game with a feeling that we do have momentum in our performances,” he said.

“We have had three good performances and that is what I asked of the boys. After the disappointment of not getting second place, it shows something about the character and the togetherness in the squad we have, and we now need to go up there and put in a really good performance.

“The last time we played them off the park but made horrendous individual errors to lose that game from a really good position. We want to go and acquit ourselves well. Even though it might be seen as a dead rubber, we want to finish above them and maybe catch Loughgall as well, but we know we are going to have to keep the level of the performance up. It will not be a case of experimenting, but there is no doubt we will be giving the players the game time they are deserving of.”