Ballinamallard United chairman Gordon Lee has stressed that manager Gavin Dykes has the full support of the club and although he has not spoken to the manager, who has been away on a break, he fully expects him to be in the dugout when the Mallards host Carrick Rangers in a crucial bottom of the table encounter at Ferney Park this Saturday.
Dykes had said after the defeat to Warrenpoint Town last Friday night that he was going to take time to consider his position as manager following a poor start to the season which has left the Mallards with only one point from their opening ten games.
But speaking to the Impartial Reporter yesterday (Wednesday) Lee said he is sure that Dykes will be in charge for the Carrick game and states that he has the full backing of the club.
“Gavin is still in charge and will be there on Saturday for the Carrick game, that’s the plan,” said Lee.
“I want to reiterate that Gavin has the full support of the club and committee. I haven’t spoken to him, he is out of the country on a break, but he knows the club’s and my feelings. He said himself, he is under no pressure from the club, it is just pressure from himself and he is a proud man and he thinks he is letting the club down by not getting the results.”
And the chairman says that Dykes also has the support of his playing staff.
“He has the team playing for him and he still has the full support of the changing room and that’s very important. As a committee you may have to look at it if the players weren’t playing for him or if he wasn’t getting a response, but that’s not the case,” he added.
Dykes spoke to the media straight after the game against Warrenpoint and was obviously disappointed to have come away empty handed and indicated that he would take time to think about his position.
“We need a wee bit of luck and whether that will come next week with me leading it or not; I need to go away and re-assess. I have too much time for this club. The people who run this club are absolutely smashing, I’ll never be sacked, that’s not the issue, but at the end of the day I haven’t done my job good enough because we’re bottom of the table.
“If I feel that things can change and I can carry on then I will. But if I feel that it has reached a point where I cannot turn the situation around and a change would benefit the club, then so be it. I will make my decision over the next few days.”
But Lee feels that was just an instant reaction to the defeat. The Mallards had looked as if they had snatched a draw when Shane McGinty tucked the ball home in the 83rd minute to make it 1-1 only for Warrenpoint to grab a winner five minutes later.
“I think the thing is that it was a reaction from an honest manager and anybody that knows him knows that’s what’s what he is. 
“That reaction came within minutes of the final whistle and I’m sure that if he had been interviewed the next day he would have spoken differently. The result the other night was just a kick in the teeth after getting a deserved equaliser,” stated Lee.
The Mallards are now six points adrift at the bottom of the table but Lee does feel that performance wise, things have started to pick up in recent weeks.
“Gavin has brought in some good players but they have taken time to gel although this last couple of weeks they seem to be gelling and Gavin seems to have a pattern of play and a good balance in the team. Goals are still a problem but that has always seemed to be the case for Ballinamallard in the Premier League, it has been our Achilles’ heel. However, the performances and commitment of the players cannot be questioned and the fans in Warrenpoint the other night were completely behind them,” he said.
With games coming up against Coleraine, Linfield and Crusaders in the coming weeks, it is now vital for the Mallards to get something out of Saturday’s game against Carrick.
“Our whole focus is now on a big game against Carrick on Saturday. Everybody has been saying for the last two or three games that we just need that first win and now it is more important than ever to get that on the board,” commented the Mallards chairman.