Annagh 1-0 Ballinamallard

It was a game of two penalties on Saturday as Ballinamallard missed from the spot in the first half, and Annagh converted from 12 yards late in the game to seal the victory and condemn Ballinamallard to their third consecutive defeat.   

The Mallards were trying to secure a second consecutive away victory in the league and looked like they were well on their way when Darragh Stewart won a penalty after 26 minutes, but his effort was saved and with 10 minutes of the match remaining Annagh snatched the points. 

Ballinamallard were once again hit by injury and unavailability, with the manager forced into fielding an unfamiliar starting line-up.

On loan goalkeeper Joel Little was ineligible to play against his parent club, so 18-year-old youth academy graduate Calvin Brown stepped up from the Reserves to make his first-team debut.

He was one of four changes to the side that lost to Armagh City, with Dean Corrigan, Josh McIlwaine and Darragh Byrne coming in for Tiernan Campbell, James McGrath and the ill Jamie Dunne.  

In tough conditions, Ballinamallard were playing into a strong wind in the first half, but despite the weather making football difficult it was the visitors who had the better chances in the opening 45 minutes.  

The Mallards’ five-man defence was coping well with Annagh’s direct style of play, and goal scoring chances for either side were rare in the opening quarter of the contest.

Darragh Stewart had spent much of last season on loan at Annagh, and it looked like he would return to haunt his former club when he was brought down inside the penalty area, but his penalty kick was touched onto the post by goalkeeper Jason Craughwell.  

Debutant Brown was relatively untroubled in the Mallard’s goal, but he was called into action five minutes after the penalty save when he dived full length to touch a long-range shot over the crossbar. 

Two minutes later Ballinamallard threatened when striker Danny Barker was set clear of the Annagh defence, but his first touch took him wide of the goal and he fired his shot over the bar.

Just before the break, Annagh’s Stephen Murray drilled a low ball across the face of goal, but no-one could apply the finishing touch as the game reached the interval goalless. 

Ballinamallard hoped to take advantage of the wind at their backs in the second half, but in a scrappy contest, chances were still tough to come by.

Stewart again came close for the Mallards, getting on the end of a cross from substitute Simon Warrington but glancing his header wide of the upright.

With ten minutes of the game remaining, Annagh were awarded a penalty when a ball on the edge of the penalty area bounced up and struck Richie Johnston on the upper arm.

Referee Diarmuid Harrigan pointed to the penalty spot, and Nathan Kerr stepped up and sent Brown the wrong way to score the game-winning goal.