Ballinamallard United manager Mark Stafford has admitted that his side needs to tighten up in defence after they threw away a two-goal advantage for the second time this season.

Last season scoring goals was a major issue for Ballinamallard, but this campaign they have scored three goals or more in two of their five league matches, with the defensive side of their game now proving costly.

“I didn’t think our problem would be in defence,” admitted the manager, who has seen his side concede an average of two goals per game.

“The lads defended well in general play, it is just in certain moments we need to get better. Defending corners, throw-ins, that side of the game. On the positive side, we are scoring goals and different goals. On Saturday we scored one from a throw-in, a set piece and one from open play. We are creating lots of chances.”

Ballinamallard’s draw on Saturday extended their winless run against Dundela to eight games.

It looked as though the Mallards were eventually going to overcome their bogey club when they raced into a 3-1 lead, only for the Duns to score twice in two minutes.

Stafford admitted the nature of the draw was hard to accept.

“It feels like a defeat,” he conceded adding: “Mainly because we were very good in the first half. We limited them to very little and the players were excellent. Dundela had beaten Welders well on the Tuesday night and we imagined they wouldn’t change the team, and they did keep 3-5-2 even though they usually play four at the back at home.

"We took a risk and matched them up and it worked out a treat. The shape of the team was really good.”

“We went in 1-0 up at half-time and everything was going to plan. At the start of the second-half Richie (Johnston) scores from a set piece, but then we concede from a throw-in.

"We score from a long throw-in, which is something that we have been working on, and then we turn around and concede a penalty two minutes later. We have dealt with the first ball and the clearance has been headed back in and their striker gets in between our defenders. Then we conceded a really scrappy goal from a corner.”

As well as missing out on the win on Saturday, Ballinamallard also suffered an injury setback with the news that Callum Moorehead has sustained a fractured ankle.

“It’s a blow for Callum and for us,” admitted Stafford.

“Callum is a really important player for us. He went through a really difficult season last year with a knee injury and he worked hard and did a lot of rehab on his knee to come back in the summer. We didn’t rush him back and he didn’t play in any pre-season games, but he was just finding his form.

"He was a second-half substitute against Ballyclare and he got an assist and a goal, and he played well against Ards and Newry, but unfortunately early in Saturday’s game, he was involved in a tackle. He went for a scan and it has shown up as a fracture to the ankle so he will be out for quite a while.”

Moorehead joins Gary Armstrong on the injury list ahead of Saturday’s game against Newington, but Stafford is hoping they can extend their unbeaten run on home soil.

“We would like to make Ferney a fortress if we can this season if we want to do anything in the league this year, so we will have to keep that going on Saturday,” he said.

“Newington are a team that have caused us problems in the past, and they won the last time they were down in Ferney, so they will certainly be a challenge. They have signed Darren Murphy who is a very experienced player that I know well from the Irish league. He scored two on Saturday and he seems to have got himself in good shape, so we will need to be on our toes to keep him out.”