BALLINAMALLARD manager, Tommy Canning, wants his players to get into a winning habit after victory over Annagh United banished memories of two consecutive 95th-minute defeats.

The victory at Ferney on Saturday lifted the Mallards up to eighth in the NIFL Championship, and with only seven points separating fourth from ninth, Canning believes if they can continue their winning run at Ards on Saturday then they can make rapid progress up the table.

“That win ends a wee run of losing a couple and gets us back on track again, but it is of no use to us if we don’t back it up with another good performance against Ards,” said the manager.

“The table is still in a situation where a couple of results either way can really affect your league position.

“Our performances, even in the games that we have lost recently, have been good, so I am not overly worried about whether we will get a performance.

“It’s just a case of continuing on with the performances we have been delivering and making sure that we are taking our chances at the top end of the pitch when they present themselves.

“We need to push on now and if we can get a win on Saturday then the table will change again for us.”

The first half of Saturday’s game against Annagh saw the Mallards create numerous chances without a goal to show for it before Dylan Boyle and Peter Maguire struck late on to take all three points.

Canning felt the two-goal margin was the least his team deserved for their efforts: “2-0 I think was a conservative scoreline for us,” he said.

“We could have won by a lot more, and a clean sheet was a bonus again. I thought overall we were much the better side.

“We created numerous opportunities from the very start of the game. We were wasteful, and maybe that was the only worry. We came in at half time and I was really pleased with how we were playing but just a wee bit frustrated that we weren’t finishing off moves.

“That was the pattern for the second half as well. You are always worrying that you are dominating and on top and maybe there would be a sting in the tail, but thankfully this week there wasn’t.”

Ballinamallard’s perseverance was finally rewarded in the 81st minute when 17-year-old Academy graduate Dylan Boyle scored his first goal for the senior team.

The former Fermanagh Junior Super Cup captain controlled Jamie Dunne’s cutback and lashed a shot from 16 yards in off the underside of the crossbar before Peter Maguire wrapped it up seven minutes later.

“It was great to bring young Dylan Boyle off the bench and for him to score his first goal,” said Canning.

“It’s a wonderful finish. It’s something Mark Stafford was working on in training on the Thursday, around getting to the byline and cutting balls back, so it’s nice to see the work from the training pitch coming into the game on a Saturday. It was a great goal.

“The second goal came from Peter Maguire. We have been asking more of him in the attacking box because he gets on the end of a lot of stuff, and even on Saturday he should have scored in the first half with a header, but he hasn’t really nailed down the knack of meeting the ball with the right timing in the penalty box, but thankfully on Saturday he did.”

Man of the match Jamie Dunne and Aaron Harkin both missed the last match against Institute, and Canning felt their presence was key in reversing the recent run of defeats.

“We had Aaron Harkin back on Saturday and Jamie Dunne back in the team, and they are big players for us.

“Jamie Dunne was outstanding. In the second half, he was a constant threat. He got an assist for Dylan Boyle and won the free kick that Harkin takes for Peter Maguire to score, so he had a big role in the game.

“It also allowed us to get Ryan Morris back into right back, and he has been seven or eight out of ten every week since I have come in. Getting those few players back allows us to get our team back together again.”

The good news for Canning is that all the players emerged unscathed from the Annagh match, with only Callum Moorehead being unavailable for Saturday’s match against Ards.

On Wednesday, Ballinamallard discovered their opponents in the Clearer Water Irish Cup Fifth Round.

They will travel to face Newry City. Games are to be played on either Friday 5 or January 6, 2024.