Ballyclare Comrades 1-4 Ballinamallard

Daniel Barker scored his first-ever senior hat-trick as Ballinamallard ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory away at Ballyclare Comrades.  

Dixon Park was a bogey ground for the Mallards having not won at the venue in any of their last 14 appearances dating back to 2003, but they ended that dismal run with an impressive second half performance as they put four goals past Comrades for the second time this season. 

Barker opened the scoring after half an hour when he poked in from close range, and although Ballyclare levelled the match before halftime, two Ballinamallard goals in three minutes from Barker and James McGrath swung the game in their favour, with Barker completing his treble with twelve minutes remaining. 

Manager Mark Stafford was able to welcome Jamie Dunne back from suspension for the game, with Nathan Sherry and James McGrath also returning to the starting lineup.

Ultan O’Grady slipped out of contention after suffering a hamstring strain in midweek, with Dean Corrigan and Sean McAteer dropping to the substitute’s bench. 

In an evenly contested opening thirty minutes both sides struggled to carve out clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities, and it took an error from the Ballyclare goalkeeper to present Ballinamallard with the opening goal.

Jamie Dunne’s corner looked to be a comfortable catch for Gerard Walker, but under no pressure, the keeper spilt the ball and Barker was alert to stab the ball over the line to give the Mallards the lead. 

Ballinamallard goalkeeper Joel Little then almost gifted Comrades an equaliser when he came out to collect a through ball and Michael Morgan beat him to the pass.

With the keeper stranded Morgan advanced along the byline, but from a tight angle could only fire into the side netting.  

Comrades were pushing forward in search of an equaliser and Caolan Donnelly turned Darragh Byrne on the right wing and whipped in a low cross.

Nathan Sherry cleared the initial danger but Comrades worked it back towards the edge of the penalty area where Donnelly fired over the bar from 18 yards.

The equalising goal did arrive in added time at the end of the first half. Brian Healy twisted and turned 40 yards from goal before laying the ball into the path of the overlapping Donnelly, and he advanced on goal before firing across Little to score inside the far post. 

Ballinamallard had conceded early in the second half in each of their last two matches, but this week it was the Mallards who scored soon after the restart, with Barker’s first-time finish from a left-wing cross beating Walker. 

Two minutes later, the visitors moved further ahead when Darragh Stewart got to the byline and lifted a cross to the back post, where James McGrath headed in from close range. 

Josh McIlwaine was making his 250th appearance for the club, and he almost marked the occasion with a goal, but his point-blank header struck the keeper.

Sherry drilled the loose ball back into the six-yard box with the rebound falling to Barker, but his shot was deflected behind for a corner.  

From the set piece, Barker again had a sight of goal, but his header from Dunne’s delivery was touched over the bar by Walker. 

Any hopes Ballyclare had of making a comeback were all but eliminated midway through the second half when they received two red cards in the space of five minutes.

Lee McCune was dismissed for a second bookable offence before Tomas Gilmore’s high challenge on McGrath was punished with a straight red.

Ballinamallard took advantage with twelve minutes remaining as Barker sealed his hat-trick.  

McIlwaine challenged for the ball in the Ballyclare half, and the loose ball was collected by Barker, who rounded the keeper and tapped in.