PLAYR-FIT Teamwear Championship.
Ballinamallard vs Ards.
Ferney Park.
Saturday 20th April at 3.00 p.m.
The penultimate fixture of the season has Ards make the long trip to County Fermanagh as they take on Ballinamallard for the fourth time this season. There is nothing at stake but pride and three points for these clubs as Dergview's defeat at home to the Welders on Tuesday night means they are destined to finish in the relegation play-off spot, ensuring Ards will finish in their current position of tenth. The best Ballinamallard can finish is seventh, but for that to happen they would have to win their last two games and hope Ballyclare lose their last two.
This is actually the third time Ards have travelled to Ferney Park this season, back in October they had a convincing 5-1 win in the League Cup and four days later a 93rd minute Adam McCallum goal earned the Red and Blues a deserved point. The next time the teams faced each other was in Bangor on December 9th, when another 93rd minute goal this time from Ross Hunter, earned Ards a point in a 2-2 draw. The last fixture between the two was in January when the Ducks left Bangor with three points after an 80th minute strike gave them a narrow 1-0 victory.
The current manager at Ferney Park is Tommy Canning, who took over on October 31st last year, having left Dergview about six weeks previously. Like many managers in the Championship he too has struggled to get consistent performances from his team. In the last five games Ballinamallard have three wins to their credit, including games against Newington and promotion chasing Annagh, however they have also lost 2-0 at Knockbreda in that sequence, so it is anybody's guess what Ards are likely to face on Saturday.
Ards have achieved some better results and more importantly better performances recently, albeit against other sides in the bottom six. Tuesday's narrow and perhaps slightly unlucky defeat at the hands of Ballyclare ended a three game unbeaten run, having previously not won since late November. It was good to see George Tipton make his return from injury against the Comrades, while Connor Maxwell started for the reserves last weekend, so John Bailie has nearly a full panel to choose from just in time for the end of the season!
Although the team are safe from earlier worries about relegation, fans who make the long journey west will be hoping for a good performance and a morale boosting victory before the final game of the season next Friday night when we travel to play Dergview.
Match Officials :-
Referee :- Stewart Long.
1st Assistant :- Bryan Magill.
2nd Assistant :- Roy Beacom.