Ballinamallard United 4 Maiden City 1

Ballinamallard eased into the semi-final of the North West Senior Cup with a 4-1 victory over Maiden City at Ferney Park on Tuesday night.

After a scrappy opening to the match Josh McIlwaine broke the deadlock with a trademark header, and Nathan Sherry’s first goal for the club gave the Mallards a two goal advantage at half-time.

McIlwaine and Darragh Stewart added two more in the second half as the Mallards extended their unbeaten record on Ferney Park this season.

Ballinamallard manager Mark Stafford had made eight changes to the starting line up that played out a draw against Dundela three days earlier. Tiarnan Campbell and goalkeeper Shane O’Gara both made their debuts, while Darragh Stewart and Sean McAteer made their first starts since their arrival in the summer.

Ballinamallard had racked up double figures against Maiden City in a pre-season fixture, but it was a very different contest this time around.

The visitors that had the better of the early exchanges with Lee Toland dragging a shot wide of the Mallard’s post after four minutes. Scoring opportunities were at a premium in the opening quarter with Ballinamallard limited to two looping headers from Josh McIlwaine that both dropped harmlessly over the crossbar.

As the half progressed Ballinamallard started to gain the upper hand.

Darragh Stewart was brought down as he rounded the left back and Sean McAteer whipped in a free kick but Ryan Morris’ effort from 10 yards was blocked by a defender. From the corner Morris rose highest but his header went wide of the post.

Poor defending from Ballinamallard allowed Ciaran Brolly to fire a long-range shot at goal, but O’Gara gathered comfortably and soon afterwards Ballinamallard took a firm grip on the game.

Stewart saw his driven cross deflected over the bar by centre-back Peter Tracey, but Ballinamallard finally broke the stalemate in the 38th minute with a high-quality move that was out of keeping with the contest up to that point.

Morris won possession in midfield and laid the ball to Aaron Smyton, who skipped past a challenge before finding Stewart. The winger tucked inside and held off a defender before sliding a pass down the left for Jamie Dunne, who lofted in a cross that McIlwaine headed back across the keeper into the net.

A rejuvenated Ballinamallard added a second three minutes later. A first-time pass from Morris between the full-back and centre-back set Stewart clear on the right and he drilled a low first-time cross to the back post where Nathan Sherry had time to control the ball 10 yards out and fire past the keeper.

McIlwaine headed narrowly wide in the early stages of the second half, but eight minutes into the half he grabbed his second of the night. A corner was only partially cleared by City and Dunne and McAteer combined to work it back into the penalty area for Stewart, who ghosted past a defender before crossing for McIlwaine to hammer home from close range.

Sherry then had a header saved from a corner, with City goalkeeper Ray Kelly quickly starting a counterattack that ended with Torin McGlynn firing a shot across the keeper and in off the far post to reduce the deficit.

It was becoming an end-to-end game, and the Mallards were the next to go close. Both Stewart and Morris had shots blocked inside the six-yard box before the visitors scrambled the ball clear.

McAteer was the next to test the City keeper with an effort from the edge of the penalty area.

Simon Warrington came off the bench to make his first appearance after a long injury lay-off, and his first touch was to provide an assist for Stewart, who collected the ball on the edge of the area and drove to his right before lashing a shot back across the keeper into the far corner.

16-year-old academy graduate Adam Cathcart came on to make his senior debut in place of man of the match Stewart, and he won a corner that Morris headed onto the crossbar in the closing moments as Ballinamallard secured their spot in the last four.

Ballinamallard will play Institute at Ferney Park in the semi-final on Tuesday, October 8.