Playr-Fit Championship
Ballinamallard Utd 2
Dundela 1
By Aaron Hassard
A BRACE from James McGrath helped Ballinamallard United to a big 2-1 win over Dundela at Ferney Park on Saturday in a tough Playr-Fit Championship clash.
Mallards boss Mark Stafford made one change to the team that started in his side’s midweek stalemate against Institute.
McGrath went straight into the starting lineup, replacing Jake Browne, who served a one match suspension following his dismissal at the Brandywell.
Ryan Morris continued to deputise as captain with Aaron Arkinson, who sustained an injury during Tuesday night’s warm-up, remains unavailable.
There were welcome returns to the Ballinamallard bench, with David Jonathan, Josh McIlwaine and Sean McAteer all reintegrated in the squad after minor illness and injury setbacks.
Former Ballinamallard loanee Michael Kerr started at the heart of the Dundela backline, which was breached inside six minutes in somewhat fortuitous circumstances.
Callum Moorehead’s left-foot cross rattled the back post of the Duns goal, bounced across goal, off the near post and towards Daniel Barker, whose close range effort was saved by Hogg.
It fell to McGrath, who fired into the roof of the net from six yards.
McGrath almost turned provider on 22 minutes, curling an in-swinging free-kick from the left side towards Morris, who headed against the crossbar.
Matthew Ferguson, son of Irish League legend Glenn Ferguson, had earlier forced Lorcan Donnelly into a low stop, before rattling the Ballinamallard woodwork from the edge of the box on 41 minutes.
Dundela looked dangerous in the final third and equalised in style just two minutes before the break.
Joshua Andrews played a teasing delivery into the box that was headed across to Kelly, who unleashed a first time effort into the far side of the net, giving Ballinamallard’s Donnelly no chance.
Jordan Morrison almost put Duns in front 10 minutes after the restart, with his trundling effort rattled the post from an Ewan Kelly cross.
McAteer almost capped his return to action with a goal in the closing stages.
Josh McIlwaine, who himself had a couple of opportunities to score from the bench, flicked a loose ball into the path of McAteer, who flashed an effort agonisingly wide of the far post.
Some may have thought that was Ballinamallard’s last chance for victory, but there was to be a final twist in the tale.
From the resulting goal kick, a Ryan Morris header allowed Barker to progress down the left side, playing McIlwaine who in turn fed McAteer.
A triangle combination between McAteer, Holder and McGrath released the latter into a similar scoring position in the box, with McGrath applying a first time finish into the bottom left corner of Hogg’s goal.
This tale almost had a late sting, however. Deep in added time, Kelly’s cross from the left found Ferguson at the back post, but the unmarked forward headed over from close range.