Institute 2-1 Ballinamallard

For the second time this season Institute fought back from a goal down to score an injury-time winner against Ballinamallard. 

Simon Warrington had given the Mallards an early lead at the Brandywell with a tap-in at the back post in the sixth minute, but Stute equalised with 20 minutes remaining and snatched a winner deep into added time as Ballinamallard once again conceded late in a game. 

The Mallard’s starting eleven was once again heavily influenced by player injury and unavailability, with defenders Peter Maguire, Richie Johnston and Aaron Arkinson all missing out, and Alex Holder, Aaron Harkin, Callum Moorehead and Josh McIlwaine also unavailable in more advanced positions.  

Stafford made two changes from the side that thumped league leaders Bangor the previous week, with Simon Warrington making his first league start of the season and James McGrath coming back into the starting eleven. 

Jamie Dunne was back at his former club and he had Ballinamallard’s first attempt at goal in the early stages, but he dragged his shot wide of the post from 25 yards out.

The visitors were having the better of the early exchanges and they took the lead after six minutes.  

Darragh Stewart picked up a headed clearance in his own half and turned inside the Stute defender with his first touch.

He accelerated past a second challenge and drove into the Institute half before sliding the ball wide for Dunne.

His first time shot from the corner of the penalty area was saved by goalkeeper Gareth Muldoon, but Warrington pounced on the loose ball to guide it into the net from six yards. 

Jamie Browne had an acrobatic overhead kick saved by Joel Little, and the Ballinamallard keeper was called into action again in the twentieth minute when he saved a penalty.

An Institute corner was punched clear by Little but with the ball heading away from danger Warrington was adjudged to have bundled over Mikhail Kennedy on the edge of the area.

Kennedy picked himself up to take the spot kick, but Little dived to his right to palm the ball wide of the post.  

Daniel Barker then fired just wide of the upright as the Mallards reached halftime with a slender advantage.   

Darragh Stewart came close to extending his personal goalscoring streak when he headed just wide of the post in the opening moments of the second half, but Institute started to take a grip of the game as the half progressed and in the 69th minute Ballinamallard conceded from a set piece.  

A free kick was lofted into the penalty area with Darragh Byrne and Stute substitute Padraig Lynch challenging for the ball as it dropped.

Lynch was able to poke the ball sideways to Shane Boyle, and the defender fired in at the near post to level the scores.  

It looked as though the game was heading towards a draw, but four minutes into added time a ball into the Ballinamallard box fell to Brendan McLaughlin.

His shot was blocked by Byrne, but the deflection fell kindly for McLaughlin who recovered to head back across goal for Lynch to head in from close range. 

Ballinamallard have now failed to beat Institute in their last six league encounters, with the defeat seeing Stafford’s side slip to tenth place in the NIFL Championship.