Ballinamallard manager Mark Stafford is in talks with several potential new signings as he looks to strengthen his playing squad in the January transfer window.

Saturday’s defeat at home to Dundela left the Mallards with just three points from a possible eighteen as their poor run of results continued, and the manager believes fresh faces will be key in turning their season around. 

“We are in the market, and I am working hard behind the scenes to try to get a couple of bodies in different areas of the pitch,” he revealed.  

“I think it is needed. We need to freshen the group up. Obviously, we have a lot of injuries and people are struggling to stay fit, so we need to get people in who can train and play up at this level consistently without breaking down.  

"And we miss characters in the changing room at the minute. We have a couple of those big characters out with injury, but we could do with a few more too.  

"Definitely. We are in talks with a few players at the moment and we are trying to get things sorted out. Obviously, the January transfer window is a difficult one.

"People have options and teams are looking to strengthen all over the place, both in this league and in the league above us, so it is going to be a difficult market for us, but I think we definitely need to strengthen a few areas of the squad.” 

Stafford admitted that his side struggled to carve out goal-scoring chances in Saturday’s defeat to Dundela, but he was pleased with the effort and work rate of his players.  

“Joel didn’t really have a save to make, but we huffed and puffed and we didn’t create that much,” he acknowledged.  

“I was pleased with the way we stuck at it in the second half, but they managed the game well.  They have big defenders in there that defend properly, and we don’t.  

"They sat in in the second half, and they dealt with the conditions better than we did. We didn’t deal with facing into the wind as well as they did.

"Obviously, the second goal highlights that. It is a big ball in the air and our centre half needs to get a better connection on the ball.

"It is a nothing header and they break on us and we don’t deal with it and it is a good finish. The work rate of the team was up there. I thought we were very good in the middle of the pitch.

"I thought Sean McAteer was excellent, but if we are going to concede goals like that and give goals away like that we are going to find it hard.” 

Next up for Ballinamallard is a trip to sixth-placed Ards, who are coming off the back of a 4-0 loss to H&W Welders.  

Stafford is hopeful his side can inflict another defeat on them, and end their own losing streak.  

“Ards had a heavy defeat on Saturday against the Welders and I think if we go about it the same way as we did against Dundela, in terms of our play and be patient and control the ball, we will definitely cause them problems.”