A superb hat-trick by winger Jason McCartney saw Ballinamallard United pick up three points against Dungannon Swifts and move up to fifth place in the Danske Bank Premiership.
It was McCartney’s second hat-trick of the season – having netted three against Lisburn Distillery in August.
The result moved the Ferney Park boys into fifth spot in the standings and gives them a strong chance of making the top six with just two games to go before the split.
The Mallards need just one more win to secure a place in the top half of the table.
Ferney Park manager Whitey Anderson was delighted with Saturday’s performance.
“It is just what I asked for. The result and performance were excellent,” he said.
“Indeed the result was more important than the performance and probably at times we could have played better, but it was about the points today.
“Two of McCartney’s goals were quite simply real quality,” added Anderson.
“I asked the players to step up to the plate today.. It wasn’t that Dungannon were four goals poorer than us today, but we showed some real quality, I felt.
“I still think we deserved to win. We scored four times, something I have been looking for for some time, and we kept a clean sheet. We got the rub of the green today, when we might not have in previous games.”
The Ballinamallard manager praised midfielder James McKenna for his contribution.
“His commitment and desire has always been there, but he showed some real quality today in the middle of the park,” Anderson added.
“But all the lads deserve praise after today’s performance. It was a big win and a big three points for us.
“We just have to keep plugging away and we now focus on our next game.
“It is an old cliche but it is one game at a time for us.”
It was Dungannon though who had the first real chance of the game after James Costello intercepted a Gareth Liggett pass across the penalty area.
Despite facing an open goal he shot wide.
McCartney struck after 22 minutes with a volley at the back post after Gareth Liggett’s long free kick floated over the visiting defence.
Two more followed in the second half, the first on 61 minutes, a tap in after Campbell’s shot was parried by keeper Murphy and again on 78 minutes, a sublime effort, the goal of the game, from outside the penalty box when lobbed Dungannon keeper Murphy for a simply superb finish.
Substitute Andy Crawford, who came on for Duwayne McManus added a fourth on 82 minutes when he chased after a through ball and slotted home in the corner.
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