Danske Bank Premiership
Glentoran v Ballinamallard United
Saturday 28 January 2017, 3pm.
Glentoran welcome Ballinamallard United to the Oval for our third meeting in this season’s Danske Bank Premiership.
Although the Mallards are eight points behind us going into the game, the Glens will take our opponents very seriously as our recent record against them has not been impressive with one draw and a defeat so far this season. The two teams also go into the game in similar form with 8 points each from their last 5 league games.
The Glens will go into the game in a positive frame of mind following our 3-1 win away to Ards last Friday.
Manager Gary Haveron said in advance of the game: “Stephen McAlorum has now finished his suspension and has been training really hard and well so it will be great to have him back in the mix for Saturday. Calum Birney came back in against Ards last Friday night and came on for Jamesy Ferrin after missing a few weeks with a hamstring complaint. Eric Foley will start training again and should be in contention this week or next.
We are working incredibly hard to recruit players. January was always going to be a difficult month for us to do anything but we have been speaking very positively to players regarding next season and will continue to shape the squad and talk to current players we wish to hold onto for next season and beyond”.
Mallards have enjoyed a decent run of form since an Adam Lecky hat-trick away to Ards in early December. Their 2-1 victory on our visit to Ferney Park before Christmas was the first of 3 wins for Ballinamallard in December and January, the other 2 being even more valuable as they came against their relegation rivals. They now have a 9 point gap ahead of the play-off place, but they failed to capitalise further last weekend when they lost at home to Coleraine.
Ballinamallard manager, Gavin Dykes was disappointed not to take all 3 points at The Oval in October and, even though Lecky has since departed, Dykes has seen Josh McIlwaine score more goals since his first of the season against the Glens at Ferney. He has also brought in strike options Ryan Curran from Finn Harps and Warner Mullen from Loughgall.
The Board of Directors at Glentoran Football Club would again request that all supporters travelling to the Oval by private car, consider the local residents when deciding where and how to park.