There is no panic from Ballinamallard United manager Gavin Dykes, but with only one point to show from their opening seven league games he is very aware that they need to start picking up points if they are to climb off the foot of the Danske Bank Premiership table.
The last two league games against Crusaders and champions Linfield were always going to be tough asks for Dykes and his side and so it proved with heavy defeats in both but with home games against Ballymena United and Ards coming up next in the league he will feel that these are games that can kick start their campaign.
Dykes admits he is behind where he hoped to be at this stage of the season but is keen to begin moving in the right direction over the next couple of weeks.
“Are we disappointed with where we are? Yes, it hurts but we have got to be positive and try and go and get that first win and then move on from there. We are four points from where we want to be at this stage, we want to be up where Carrick are and if we can get above Carrick that is where we want to be but we need to start getting a few points on the board,” he said.
“We have three home games coming up, one of which is in the cup, but the two league games are vital against Ballymena and Ards and we will be looking to get points from them.” 
Ballymena have not made as good a start to the season as manager David Jeffrey would have liked but Dykes stresses that the Mallards will be coming up against a good side at Ferney Park on Saturday.
“We have Ballymena this Saturday which will be very tough, they are a good side and they have strengthened well. I know they have had a mixed start to the season but they are a decent side and are managed by probably the most successful manager ever in the Irish League, so it won’t be easy. 
“It is hurting the players conceding goals and losing games but hopefully we can get a positive response on Saturday and we can go and get a performance and a result. Then we can turn our attentions to Ards. Confidence is low and the players are being punished for every mistake they make at the minute but they will learn and we have got to be positive. We want to get that important result that will kick us on and give us that wee bit of confidence,” he said.
The Mallards boss should have a stronger hand to call on this week with a number of players close to returning from injury.
“Hopefully we will have Ciaran Martyn back, maybe Hutchy and it looks like Niall Owens and Jay McCartney might be back and all of a sudden you have options which we maybe haven’t had in recent weeks. We got to be positive and try and push it on.”
However, he knows that they need to find a consistency to their play if they are to get results on the board.
“On our day if we are at it we can pick up points against anybody but we have got to be at it for 90 minutes. We have only being doing it in patches so far,” commented Dykes. 
Last Saturday Ballinamallard went down to Linfield with Jordan Stewart grabbing a hat-trick for David Healy’s side. And Dykes believes that the Blues are the best side that they faced this season to date.
“I’ve said all along, games like this are a free one for us and we went to Windsor Park and we had a game plan which we stuck to but Jordan Stewart caused us all sorts of problems because he played behind the front two and we didn’t deal with it. We got in one down at half time thanks to Brushie but we came out in the second half and Carroll made a great save from Curran and then Josh is going through and he is pulled down and it is only a yellow card. 
“Linfield though were excellent, they were the best team we played and their movement was really good. They caused us all sorts of problems but I can’t fault the players for effort,” added Dykes.
The Mallards chief though is confident that his players will turn the corner and begin to put points on the board.
“I have a better squad than I had last year. All right, I lost two leaders in McCabe who was massive for me and I’ve lost McKenna although he is coming back but we will get there, we know that we will,” he stated.