Harry McConkey has revealed that following last Tuesday night’s North West Cup defeat to Limavady United he was informed by club chairman Tom Elliott that he had to win his next two games against Annagh United and Ballyclare Comrades to keep his job.

And with Friday night’s meeting with Annagh United finishing in a draw McConkey’s five and a half year stretch as manager came to an end as he was effectively sacked by the club with the side languishing in tenth place in the NIFL Championship.

McConkey will forever be remembered within the club for leading the team to an historic Irish Cup final, and although he acknowledges recent league results have been disappointing, he remained fully committed to the club until the end.

“I would be upset if anyone said I packed it in or gave up. That was not the case,” he said.

“I want to be remembered as giving my best. In the end it wasn’t good enough for the committee, but I hope I have served the club well over the last five and a half years.

“A management role is a complex and difficult one, but if you lose the confidence of your committee it becomes impossible.”

After starting this season with two wins from the first three matches, a run of five consecutive defeats saw the Mallards plummet from second in the league to second last.

They stopped that winless run with victory at table topping Newington and then added two more points with draws against Ards and Annagh, but the mini revival arrived too late to save the manager.

In the midst of the three game unbeaten league run, two heavy defeats in midweek cup games against Ards and then Limavady influenced the club’s decision to part company with the manager, with Chairman Tom Elliott first approaching McConkey after the 1-1 league draw against Ards on Saturday October 7.

“We had a good chat and it was at that point that Tom expressed that quite a few members of the committee had lost confidence in me,” revealed McConkey.

“He said if I had lost that game on Saturday against Ards they would be looking me to step down, but if I won or drew they would look at the following week.

“I pondered on that over the weekend and I decided I would not let down those players who I had worked so hard to pull together, and I wouldn’t let the club down. I decided to give everything the following week for the matches on the Tuesday and the Friday.”

McConkey fielded a youthful team in the North West Senior Cup defeat to Limavady on the Tuesday, and he was approached again by the chairman following that loss.

“On Wednesday morning I got a phone call to say there was further discontent amongst the committee and they wanted to see how I felt after that result,” he said.

“I said to him that my situation hadn’t changed, and I wanted to give it a real go.

“Tom went back to the committee and sent me a text the next morning to say that the committee had decided that unless I secured two wins in the next two games, one against Annagh and one against Ballyclare Comrades, I would be no longer allowed to progress with the club.”

The first of those two matches against Annagh finished goalless, and at the end of the game the manager knew his time at the helm had come to an end.

“When the final whistle went I looked at Craig Lynch, who has been my stalwart and right hand man since 2018, and there was a sadness because we both knew it was over. I told the players after the match that I in no way wanted to give up on them. They have given themselves a platform to build on, and I really want whoever is in charge to build on the five points they had picked up in the last three games and get themselves out of trouble, and give the club everything.

“As difficult as things were, I had a great joy in working with them. I do believe they are a great bunch and I think they have deserved more in the games. We have played everybody once and they should not be frightened over the next two rounds of games of climbing the league.”

McConkey admitted he was expecting a tough challenge this season in a league that was fiercely competitive and packed with clubs who were able to operate off a stronger financial footing than the Mallards.

“Managers have said to me this season that they have never been in a more competitive Championship, and I think that is probably not far off. It’s never been easy, but with the investment in other clubs and the flowing down of excess players from the Premiership, you are seeing teams who are in a good position to pick up loan players.

“We are finding that harder because of our geographical location, so in other clubs you are seeing stronger and bigger panels while we have had to effectively shrink because of the finances needed to secure the long term future of the club.

“We have always been fighting to increase revenue streams and that is something that I think is key going forward. No matter who will be in charge, it does make it difficult.”

As McConkey leaves Ballinamallard he can look back on a spell as manager that encompassed many highs and lows.

He arrived in March 2018 with the Mallards deep in the relegation zone, but despite only losing one of their last eight games, including a draw with Linfield and victory over Glentoran, they were relegated on the last day of the season.

The Irish Cup final followed in 2019, and an early end to the season in 2020 ended hopes of promotion with the club lying second in the Championship standings. Last season fizzled out as the club missed out on a top half finish after a poor end to the campaign and a poor start to this season spelt the end of his reign.

“It has been a huge roller coaster of emotions and a great lesson in facing adversity,” reflected McConkey.

“I was asked to come in by the club and help in a relegation battle, and after that first season we lost 14 players and had to rebuild.

“Then you have to get yourself out of trouble after a slow start to the championship, but we got to the top six and made the Irish Cup final, which will always be a big, big moment for me.

“The financial restraints started to come, particularly from last January, and the club has been affected by Covid not just on a people basis but on a financial basis, and that has added another layer to the battle.

“It has been a real challenge to keep getting up from the blows, and that is something I still take great pride in. That, despite everything that was being thrown continually, I didn’t lie down.

“Many a time I did feel like it, but it was important I kept going and very often it was because there was a lot of good people around the club that I felt I couldn’t let down.”

Although Harry will no longer be playing a daily role in the progress of the club, his message to the fans is to keep backing the players as they look to move up the table.

“You have got a great bunch of young players there who need a little bit of time and your support.

“They have the potential to progress, and the league does not reflect how well they have done at times this season.

“If that stability can be regained and if further revenue can be got into the club, then I think the club has got a good future.”