Ballinamallard will go into Saturday’s match against league leaders Loughgall with a spring in their step according to Manager Harry McConkey.

The Mallards came from behind to defeat Knockbreda last weekend, with the morale-boosting victory coming ahead of one of their toughest tests of the season at Lakeview Park.

“I know Knockbreda could have been a banana skin but now we can go into this next game with a bit of confidence,” said McConkey.

“We know when we lost to them the last time, but there were so many times we threatened them but didn’t hurt them when it mattered.

“The game was turned on set pieces, not open play.

“We were always a threat from open play and were unfortunate to go in at half time 2-0 down because on chances created we were probably ahead.”

The County Armagh side had looked unassailable as they surged ahead at the top of the Championship table in the first half of the season, with just one defeat in 14 games, but they have lost two of their last three, including Saturday’s shock defeat to Dergview.

“We don’t fear them as a team, player for player, but there is no doubt they have had a very good run and are very difficult to score against.

“Dergview have proved that they can be vulnerable, and they obviously put up a very good performance against them. We are going to have to do the same.

“In this league anyone can beat anyone, and last Saturday was the perfect example of a team from the lower regions beating a team who is flying high at the top. The other side to that is that they will want to make sure there is no complacency in their performance, and they will come at us even harder.”

Ballinamallard will be looking to reverse a concerning trend and start well against Loughgall.

The Ducks have only scored the first goal of the game in one of their last ten matches, and although they have recovered to take points in five of those matches, against the best team in the league the Manager knows they cannot afford to give them a head start.

“We shouldn’t be having to go behind to step up our play, and that is something that is highlighted to the players weekly, and yet it has become something that has happened all too frequently and we need to change it,” admitted McConkey.

“We have actually started very well in a lot of games and then missed good chances to cement that start, and then got caught with a set play or a counter-attack, and that derails us a bit before we respond.

“There is no doubt though when we have had to change the personnel so much due to injuries and absences it can lead to misunderstandings in the defensive line.

“Sometimes things have gone against us, and at times we have been too sloppy and too slow, but it’s not for the want of trying from the players or the coaching staff.

“No one wants to be going behind when you are trying to gain confidence and push up the table and we just have to keep trying to change that.”

Comeback victory

Saturday’s win over Knockbreda was yet another comeback victory, but the boss reckoned they were worthy of the three points.

“I think we certainly deserved it over the 90 minutes,” he said. “They had hardly laid a glove on us early on, but when they got their goal it dented our confidence.

“We found players struggling to hold onto the ball, and pass the ball, and we couldn’t wait to get in at half time and make a little change because we were stopping our own flow from the back out and making some poor decisions, and allowing them to counter attack.

“There were frustrations all round and at half time we had a real good talk and tried to help the players and get our message across.

“We stayed calm and there is no doubt we saw a different team in the second half.

“We changed shape from 3-5-2 to 3-4-3 to be more attack-minded and get on the front foot. We brought on Caolan McAleer and Peter Campbell and they gave us freshness, energy, creativity and directness in the front line. We gave the supporters something to cheer in that second half, and that is pleasing because we all know the size of the task ahead of us this week.”

The return of key players was instrumental in turning Saturday’s result around, and with the Mallards injury crisis starting to ease, the Manager is hoping the larger squad can boost their prospects as Christmas approaches.

“It was no coincidence that we won when Caolan [McAleer] came back on the pitch,” he said.

“Mark Stafford is back as well and has a great presence about him. Ruari Sludden is back, Peter Maguire is getting closer to full fitness, Ronan McKinley will be a lot better after this week, Lee Warnock is training well and Shane McGinty has only one more game in his suspension.

“Stevie Drumm is still out, but slowly but surely we seem to be getting over the injuries.

“It would be great to go into the Christmas programme with a much stronger squad.”