Mountfield 0 Ballinamallard United Reserves 6

Ballinamallard United Reserves bounced back from their first league defeat in over a year with a convincing 6-0 win over Mountfield at Youth Sport Omagh.

Jack Beatty gave the visitors a half-time lead, and they took a firm grip on the contest with two goals in the first five minutes of the second-half through Cameron Lucas and Beatty’s second.

An own goal from Ronan Fox extended the lead to four, before Adam McCreery and Reece Byrne added a fifth and sixth in the final 10 minutes.

Assistant manager, Nigel Frazer, was delighted with the reaction of the team after they had suffered a Junior Cup exit and a league defeat in consecutive weeks.

“We asked the lads to show a response after a couple of disappointing results, and they delivered exactly that,” said Frazer.

“Having not suffered a league defeat for a long time it was important we got back to winning ways immediately. Last season they showed time after time that they can dig deep when needed, so I wasn’t surprised with the quality, attitude and character they showed on Saturday.

"We played some really good football at times and matched that with our work rate, and I feel we fully deserved the win. We maybe weren’t as clinical as we could have been in the first-half, but we rectified that in the second 45 and scored some good goals. It is also our third clean sheet from five matches this season, and that defensive solidity is going to be very important for us this season.”

Ballinamallard dominated possession in the early stages but they were made to wait for the opening goal.

Adam McCreery sliced a long range effort wide and Conor Stewart drilled a low shot the wrong side of the upright in the opening minutes.

Henry Miskimmin’s back post header from Dylan Donnelly’s corner then came off the post, with Beatty and Dylan Boyle both testing the keeper and Speak seeing a long range shot blocked as the Mallards increased the pressure towards the end of the half.

Miskimmin came close from another corner, glancing a low front post delivery from Speak across the face of goal, before the breakthrough came in the 42nd minute when Reece Byrne’s pass set Boyle clear down the right.

He cut back a first time cross for Beatty, who took a touch before rifling the ball into the top corner of the net from just inside the penalty area.

McCreery headed wide from six yards out just before the interval, but at the start of the second-half Ballinamallard pulled clear.

Two minutes after the restart a Speak corner was helped across the face of goal by Beatty and Lucas headed in at the back post, and three minutes later Byrne’s through ball set Beatty clear of the defence and he rounded the keeper to give his side a three goal advantage.

Boyle had a free kick saved before the Mallards added a fourth when Dylan Donnelly’s low cross was deflected into his own net by Fox.

With 10 minutes remaining McCreery scored from the spot after Stewart had been fouled in the penalty area, and the victory was sealed with the final kick of the game when debutant Jamie Edwards’ pass was collected by Byrne, and his shot from 20 yards found the back of the net.