Dergview 1 Ballinamallard United 0

BALLINAMALLARD failed to build on their victory over Portadown, as they lost out by a single goal to Dergview in the Boxing Day derby.

The Mallards created the bulk of the chances at Darragh Park, but a Jamie Browne goal after 13 minutes was enough to earn the home team the points.

Ballinamallard brought goalkeeper Jamie Ray into the starting side for the unavailable Jack Lemoignan, but the out-fielders were unchanged from the side that had convincingly defeated Portadown three days previous.

The visitors, under the management of former Ballinamallard first-team coach Emmet Friars, made the brighter start and they were rewarded after 13 minutes when the ball came off a Ballinamallard player into the path of Browne, and the forward advanced on Ray before slotting past the keeper to open the scoring.

Dergview had failed to win any of their previous seven league matches and were determined not to let their early advantage slip against their local rivals, but the Mallards were looking more threatening as the first half progressed with Alex Holder starting to dominate in midfield.

Darragh Byrne had scored his second goal of the campaign in the previous match, and he had several opportunities to add further to his goal tally but his first effort was pushed away by the Dergview goalkeeper, and moments later he dragged a shot wide of the post.

Jamie Dunne was a constant outlet for the Mallards, and the pacy winger found himself in space in the penalty area but his first-time shot from Byrne’s cross flew over the bar.

On the stroke of half time, Ballinamallard came within inches of pulling themselves level when Ben McCann rose at the back post to head goalwards, but the goalkeeper produced a full-length diving stop to deny the centre back.

The Mallards continued to press for an equaliser in the second half and they thought they had the goal they were looking for when John Edgar headed in at the far post, but referee Diarmuid Harrigan adjudged that the midfielder had pushed a defender in winning his aerial challenge and ruled the goal out.

McGrath’s long-range efforts were looking Ballinamallard’s most likely route to goal and he fired wide of the post and had a shot touched over the bar, before the visitors suffered another setback when Dunne was dismissed for a second yellow card with 13 minutes remaining.

Canning introduced attacking reinforcements from the bench in the closing moments, but the Mallards could not find a goal that would have salvaged a point from the game.

The defeat leaves Ballinamallard ninth in the league table, 11 points clear of the bottom two.