Ballinamallard manager Mark Stafford admitted his team put in a “very disappointing”  showing as they lost 4-0 to Harland & Wolff Welders on Saturday.  

The Mallards came into the match hoping to build on their opening day success against Ballyclare Comrades, but hopes of adding to their opening day points haul quickly evaporated as Welders raced into a four-goal lead by half time, before captain Aaron Arkinson was sent off for two yellow cards early in the second half.

“It was a very disappointing performance, especially in the first half,” acknowledged  Stafford.

“We started the game very, very poorly. Straight from the kick-off Gary  Armstrong goes into a challenge and gets injured in it, and they get into the eighteen-yard box within the first few seconds.

"Gary has been very good for us pre-season and an important part of how we play so losing him was a massive blow to us.

"Aaron Harkin came on and did well, but it wasn’t an easy game. The first half was poor and I have to take a lot of responsibility for that. We got the press wrong, and it left it difficult for us to get a foothold in the game.

"We allowed them to cross the ball into the box, and we  didn’t defend the crosses in the box either.”

Despite the disappointing first half, Stafford was keen to take the positives from a second period that saw his team tighten up in defence despite being a man down.

“The second half performance was quite good,” he said.

“The positive was that when we went down to ten men we didn’t go under. The boys worked very hard for me, and  each and every one of them put in a really big shift and they did fantastic in keeping a  clean sheet in that second half.”

Next up for Ballinamallard is the visit of table-topping Ards.

John Bailie’s side just avoided the relegation play-off last season, but they have turned their form around in the opening two fixtures of this campaign and currently top the table after seeing off the challenges of Newington and Limavady in their opening games.

Stafford is expecting another tough challenge as his team look to bounce back. “They are going very well,” he admitted.

“They signed well in the summer and Barr, their centre forward, is producing the goods.

He has Eamon Scannell in behind him in the number ten, a former Linfield teammate of mine who is going well as well.

They play the same shape as the Welders, so that is something we are going to have to work on during the week, playing against a 3-5-2. It caused us problems on Saturday.

We didn’t play against a 3-5-2 in pre-season so it was something new to us and something we will have to work on during the week when we go and try to press the ball.”

Ballinamallard will have to face the challenge of Ards without three members of the squad that delivered all three points at their last home game.

“Gary Armstrong is going to be out for the foreseeable future,” revealed Stafford.

“His ankle is in bad condition, badly swollen, so he is going to be quite a while. Arko (Arkinson) is suspended and Darragh Byrne is unavailable for a couple of weeks as well, so we are down three bodies from last Saturday.”