Ballinamallard United Manager, Whitey Anderson
One gets the feeling a Ballinamallard training session will be a punishing place to be this week.
Whitey Anderson has bluntly expressed his disappointment with last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to Glentoran and a repetition of that sort of concession rate won’t be tolerated in Windsor Park on Saturday.
More to the point though, there is next Tuesday’s meeting with Ballymena in the Wasp Solutions league cup semi-final. On what is a historic day for Ballinamallard, Anderson wants his men going into that game firmly focused on the task in hand.
“There’s only three trophies that we can compete for and this is one of them,” said Anderson. “I’m just glad for everyone connected with Ballinamallard Football Club that we’re in a semi-final of a major competition. It should be a good occasion for the players, but they’re going to have to concentrate on the game, because it’s an opportunity to get to a final. If someone said three years ago that we’d have that opportunity we’d have bit your arm off for it.”
The Braidmen could be said to have the psychological edge, having recorded a 3-0 home win over the Mallards towards the end November. Anderson doesn’t put much store in past results though, and he believes home support will have its part to play in the contest.
“I think results in the past count for nothing,” said Anderson. “This is all about the semi-final, who’s up for the semi-final and who’s going to get it right on the night. Semi-final of cup, opportunity to get to the final, who wants it? That’s the way I see it.”
“I don’t think there will be an awful lot in the game. I think it will be a tight game, they’ve a lot experience themselves, they’ve been in two finals in the past two years, they’ve an experienced back room team and a more experienced squad than I have.
“I have a lot of young players, but I’m just hoping that the home advantage, the home crowd, the 12th man will get us over the line. I think it’s going to be a big factor for us on Tuesday. I think it’s important we start the game very well and get our noses in front and the crowd behind us.”
Having reached the semi-final with a penalty shoot-out win over Glentoran, Anderson isn’t countenancing another sudden death decider.
“We never practiced penalties for the Glentoran game, believe it or not, they just stood up and took them. There wasn’t a penalty practiced in the whole week and there won’t be this week.”
It’s a huge game for Ballinamallard United, an opportunity to make history. One thing you can guarantee, the 12th man won’t be found wanting on Tuesday evening.