Ballinamallard Reserves 4-1 Newtownstewart United

Ballinamallard Reserves extended their unbeaten run to seven games with a 4-1 victory over Newtownstewart United at Fisher Park on Monday evening.  

The visitors took the lead in the tenth minute with a breakaway goal from Liam og Mossey, but the Mallards equalised through John Edgar and two second half goals from Conor Stewart and one from Jack Beatty lifted them six points clear at the top of division two. 

Ballinamallard manager Ally Irwin was delighted with how his side responded to going a goal behind, and he felt the scoreline was a fair reflection of their superiority.  

“I thought we started the game pretty well, but they got a goal against the run of play,” he said. 

“Outside of that, Calvin (Brown) only had one long-range effort to deal with in the first half, and I thought it was mostly us. We were getting on the ball well in wide areas and making life difficult for their full backs and we got the goal we deserved.  

"They put in a lot of crucial blocks at the last minute, but we were creating chances over and over again.  

"The only period I was a bit concerned about was the first few minutes of the second half. We let them in a couple of times and Calvin really saved us.

"After those initial couple of minutes, we got back into the rhythm and got the goals that we deserved.

"After we scored to make it 2-1 I felt it was always going to be us from there.  We created enough chances to be good value for four goals.” 

Ballinamallard made a lively start to the game and midfielder Adam Wallace struck the crossbar from 20 yards out, but it was the visitors who took the lead after ten minutes.

John Edgar was robbed of possession outside the Newtownstewart penalty area, and they broke forward in numbers with Mossey finishing off the break by finding the bottom corner of the net. 

Newtownstewart’s lead lasted for ten minutes before Ballinamallard struck back. Conor Stewart was a constant threat on the left wing, and he rounded the fullback and drove in a low cross.

Goalkeeper Tiarnan Mayse got a hand to the ball, but Edgar readjusted quickly to head the ball in from close range. 

The home team continued to dominate possession and a flowing move involving Ben Ellison and Wallace ended with Jack Beatty striking the foot of the post.  

Beatty then got on the end of a deep cross from Shane Speak, but with the keeper stranded, his header was cleared off the goal line. Stewart then dribbled past two defenders before getting a shot away.

Mayse made the initial save, and his defenders twice threw themselves in front of Adam McCreery as his follow-up efforts were blocked. 

The away team made the better start to the second half and seconds after the restart they got in behind the Ballinamallard defence but Calvin Brown made the save.

Moments later Brown made another crucial stop as he raced out to smother a shot, and a minute later Ballinamallard went ahead for the first time.

Edgar and Reece Byrne combined on the right before laying the ball back for Cameron Lucas, and his cross bounced through to the back post where Stewart headed in from six yards out.

Two minutes later, they extended their advantage when Mayse spilled Byrne’s low cross and Stewart was in the right place to tap in the loose ball.  

McCreery then slipped Beatty through on goal, but his shot was saved by a diving Mayse.

Stewart came within inches of completing his hat-trick when he fired Byrne’s low cross just wide of the post from close range.

Any hope of  Newtownstewart fightback was hampered by the dismissal of Michael Ward who picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Byrne.

From the resultant free-kick McCreery’s shot was saved. Beatty then fired wide of the post, but the striker finally got his goal with two minutes remaining when a cross from Lucas evaded the Newtownstewart defence, and Beatty took a touch and lashed the ball in from 12 yards.