Dundela 3 Ballinamallard United 3
Ballinamallard United let a two-goal lead slip away for the second time in three games as Dundela fought back from 3-1 down to snatch a point at Wilgar Park.
The Mallards took a first-half lead with Josh McIlwaine’s first goal of the season and they doubled their advantage early in the second half with Richie Johnston’s first for the club.
Jack Smith pulled one back, but Darragh Stewart registered his first senior goal for Ballinamallard to restore their two-goal advantage before the home team scored twice in two minutes to take a share of the points.
Ballinamallard manager Mark Stafford juggled his starting lineup again, matching up to Dundela’s formation with three at the back and captain Aaron Arkinson moving into an unfamiliar central midfield role.
The home team came into the game with an unchanged side from the one that had secured an impressive victory away to H&W Welders the previous week, but it was the Mallards that made the more positive start.
Five minutes into the game they were almost rewarded from a quickly taken short corner towards the near post, but Danny Barker’s low shot was turned around the post by Aaron Hogg.
Harkin then picked up possession in midfield and found McIlwaine. His cross-field switch to Jamie Dunne was laid into the path of Barker, but his curling shot from the corner of the penalty area drifted just wide.
Midway through the half Dundela had their first effort at the Mallard’s goal when they got to the byline down the left and pulled a cross back, but TJ Murray’s effort from 12 yards out was headed off the line by Dunne.
From the subsequent counter-attack McIlwaine’s flick almost put Barker in, but the defender bundled him off the ball before he could get a shot away.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute. Barker picked up a long pass in midfield and slid a pass for Dunne to race down the left wing, and his low cross across goal was tapped in by McIlwaine at the back post.
Dundela almost responded instantly with Jaydyn Withers’ shot coming off the top of the crossbar, but the Mallards continued to press forward in search of a second with Darragh Stewart running onto Barker’s backheel and striking a low shot that looked destined for the bottom corner of the net before it deflected off a defender’s foot and crept wide of the post.
The last chance of the first-half fell to McIlwaine, who held the ball up on the edge of the penalty area and swivelled to strike a fierce shot that whistled past the post.
Four minutes into the second-half Stewart won Ballinamallard a free kick close to the corner flag, and from Harkin’s delivery, Johnston rose high to head in and double the lead.
Dundela struck the post a minute later through Aaron Prendergast and Joel Little then saved a long-range effort as the Duns looked for a way back into the game, and their lifeline arrived on 57 minutes via the head of Jack Smith, who powered a header past Little from close range just three minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Nathan Sherry blasted over from eight yards out following a corner before the Mallards scored from a long throw-in, McIlwaine flicking it on for Darragh Stewart to blast in off the post.
Dundela were awarded a penalty in the 77th minute when Prendergast burst through between the central defenders and was brought down.
The Mallards seemed justified in their claims that the contact took place outside the penalty area, but the referee pointed to the spot and the striker picked himself off the ground to convert.
Dundela scored the goal that would earn them a point two minutes later.
A deep corner was not cleared by the defence and a goalmouth scramble ended with captain Andrew Hall stabbing the ball in from inside the six yard box.
Deep into added time Ballinamallard substitute Ultan O’Grady was shown a straight red card for a lunging tackle, but the Mallards held on for a point.
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