BALLINAMALLARD manager Tommy Canning (pictured left) felt his side were not clinical enough in front of goal as they lost to Dergview in the Boxing Day derby at Darragh Park. The Mallards had the bulk of chances in a competitive derby game but they drew a blank in front of goal, failing to score for the first time in five matches.

“We had chances in the game, but we just weren’t clinical enough,” admitted Canning. “I think in these type of games, we need to get ahead. I think if we had gone ahead, it might have killed Dergview’s spirit, but we didn’t and they scored and had something to hang on to and they did that.

“There wasn’t a huge amount of quality in the match. It was poor enough and it became a scrap with flashes of individual quality. There was a bit of niggle in the game all day, but it was a derby. We didn’t start particularly well. It took us 20 minutes to get going, and at that stage we were one down.

“We responded well to their goal and got into the game a lot more. At half time we thought we were doing okay and if we got a goal we could have shifted the balance of the game.”

The Mallards thought the balance of the game had shifted in their favour when John Edgar found the net with a back post header, but his second-half strike was ruled out for a foul and Jamie Dunne was then dismissed for a second yellow card. Canning admitted he was frustrated with both decisions.

“The referee says John nudged the defender in the back but I thought that was soft enough, and at one-all maybe the game would have changed for us. Jamie Dunne then had two yellows.

“Maybe it was warranted, but he had spent the 70 minutes before that being kicked up and down the park. The full back was booked and then got a warning and we felt there was a bit of inconsistency in the referee’s performance around that.”

Ballinamallard will have an opportunity to get back to winning ways when basement club Knockbreda visit Ferney Park on Saturday. The Mallards have won both of their previous meetings this season, with the Belfast side having only won one league match the entire campaign, but Canning says they will not be taking their opponents lightly.

“You can’t be too complacent. You saw what happened to Dergview a few weeks ago when they went up there and lost 2-0. The fact we are at home on Ferney Park, and the style we are playing at the minute, you would like to think we could get a positive result, but it will depend on our mentality and how we turn up and what our attitude will be like on the day.

“Hopefully we can come away with something.”

Dunne’s sending off will rule the winger out of the game and Ryan Morris remains on the injury list, but Josh McIlwaine will come back into contention.

The manager is also hoping Aaron Harkin will have recovered from illness. Callum Moorehead faces a late fitness test before a decision is made on his availability.