Ballinamallard United manager Tommy Canning has challenged his players to finish the season with two victories after they produced a dominant display to defeat Dergview at Ferney Park.

Two early goals gave Canning his first victory over his former club, and with six points still to play for and the Mallards only one point off the top of the post-split table, Canning is determined the campaign will not fizzle out.

“There are still targets to play for,” he said.

“That win puts us onto 51 points which is a point behind last season’s tally with two games to go, so we are on course for a couple of targets we set ourselves post-split. We want to win our last two games.”

Ballinamallard’s defensive display denied Dergview a way back into Saturday’s contest, with the clean sheet cementing the Mallard’s position as the tightest defence in the division.

No club has conceded fewer goals in the NIFL Championship this season, with the Mallards conceding just 42 goals in 36 league games, and the manager was keen to praise the entire team for their defensive efforts as they frustrated Dergview.

“The clean sheets and lack of goals we are conceding is to do with the back four, but it is also to do with our shape,” he said.

“We work really hard in midfield and in wide areas and our shape is good out of possession. That gets us clean sheets. Without taking away from Jamie Ray or Jack Le-moignan when he was here, to be a goalkeeper in this team is a pleasure.

"It is six clean sheets now for Jamie since he came in in January. Aaron Smyton plays and does really well again, Richie Johnston comes back in and is great. His contribution over the course of the season for a man who has come in and played senior football for the first time is immense.

"I love watching him defending. He is absolutely outstanding at it.”

Saturday’s success was the third consecutive home victory for the Mallards, and Canning felt the three points were well deserved.

“I thought we were comfortable in the game after we went 2-0 up,” he admitted.

“There was no real panic or tension in the game after that. We were gifted the start if we are honest. Their keeper makes a mistake, although Danny Barker did everything we could ask of him for the goal.

"Then we kept them at arm’s length and defended well. Our shape was decent, and although they had some possession and maybe some control in the game, they didn’t really cause us any trouble.

"Jamie Ray has one save to make from Keenan Diver at the back post, which he does well. We had lots of counterattacks and breakaways and had we been more clinical with the final ball or the final pass or the final decision then we could have made it a bigger scoreline, but three points and a clean sheet is what we were after.

"It is another clean sheet, Danny Barker scores again, Darragh Byrne scores again, and three points in the derby. What more would you want?”

Next up for the Mallards is the visit of Ards to Ferney Park on Saturday.

Richie Johnston will miss the game through suspension after picking up a two-game ban for his tenth yellow card of the season on Saturday, but Ryan Morris and Ultan O’Grady will both come back into contention.