Ballinamallard United’s superb second half proved a slump after the break for hosts Loughgall as three goals arrived in five minutes towards a 6-1 success on the road.

TOP RATED

LOUGHGALL: On a day of collective misery, one individual performance offered a degree of positivity. Mark Carson’s days as a marauding full-back may be over but at 33 years old he now brings key Irish League experience to the Villagers backline from a central role and so often stepped in with key interceptions and clearances thanks to excellent reading of danger

BALLINAMALLARD UNITED: Caolan Donnelly’s free-kick capped a sparkling display by a midfielder happy to pick up possession and drive forward from any position, alongside an impressive passing range and work-rate. If the first was the result of precision, after the interval his second strike proved reward for pure power as the long-range drive nestled in the top corner

placeholder image — Loughgall and Ballinamallard United players ahead of kick-off at Lakeview Park in the Championship. (Photo by Iconic Media Group)

BIG MOMENT

It takes something special for Ryan Mayse to move away from a free-kick on the edge of the box but Caolan Donnelly justified taking ownership by delivering a touch of pure class to curl the ball home beyond a diving Ross Glendinning

MATCH STATS

86: GOAL - Loughgall 1 (Anderson) Ballinamallard United 6

Substitute Anderson shows strength under pressure to drive into the penalty area and drill home a left-foot shot from a tight angle

75: SUBS (Ballinamallard) – Morris, Walsh and Hutchins on for Donnelly, Holder and Mayse

75: GOAL – Loughgall 0 Ballinamallard United 6 (Owens)

A Ballinamallard break ends with substitute Owens slotting home from a few yards into the exposed net

69: SUB (Loughgall) – McAdam for Re.Glendinning

69: GOAL – Loughgall 0 Ballinamallard United 5 (Donnelly)

If the first-half free-kick was special, the second-half angled strike from distance was spectacular as it found the top corner from distance

67: SUBS (Ballinamallard) – Owens and Connolly for Arkinson and Moorehead

59: SUBS (Loughgall) – Lovrekovic, Anderson and Murphy for McElroy, McCann and Stewart

58: GOAL – Loughgall 0 Ballinamallard United 4 (Moorehead)

Moorehead reacts to the ball bouncing around in the danger area with a sidefoot finish as Ballinamallard strengthen command during a decisively rewarding second-half flurry

56: GOAL - Loughgall 0 Ballinamallard United 3 (Barker)

Second goal for the away side in three minutes - even if Ballinamallard had to wait a few moments before final confirmation from the match officials Barker converted after a vital home deflection into his path inside the box

53: GOAL - Loughgall 0 Ballinamallard United 2 (Sherry)

Ballinamallard pressure results in a corner-kick which Mayse delivers to the back post and Sherry's looping header finds a way home via the frame of the goal

H-T: Loughgall 0 Ballinamallard United 1

40: YELLOW (Ballinamallard) – Donnelly

40: YELLOW (Ballinamallard) – Corrigan

30: GOAL - Loughgall 0 Ballinamallard United 1 (Donnelly)

Delightful curling free-kick from the edge of the box by Donnelly finds a path past Ross Glendinning's dive to the right to reward the visitors for the greater early attacking threat

LOUGHGALL: Ross Glendinning, Ben Murdock, Robbie Norton, Reece Glendinning, Darragh Stewart, Jon Graham, Reece Jordan, Paul McElroy, Mark Carson, Scott McCann, Conor Kerr.

Subs: Blake Henry, Niko Lovrekovic, Caolan Murphy, Joel McAdam, Jude O’Hara, Oisin Thornton, Sam Anderson.

BALLINAMALLARD UNITED: Kyle Gabbidon, Dean Corrigan, Nathan Sherry, Alex Holder, Aaron Arkinson, Jake Browne, Ryan Mayse, Caolan Donnelly, Callum Moorehead, Tiarnan Campbell, Daniel Barker.

Subs: Aaron Buchanan, Ryan Morris, Joshua McIlwaine, Marc Walsh, Thomas Connolly, Ronan Hutchins, Niall Owens.

Referee: Finton Coyle.

TALKING POINTS

Loughgall will point to individual errors as key to an afternoon to forget but Ballinamallard can celebrate a six-goal reward for team unity and a commitment to pass-and-move football against the traditional reputation of the Irish League’s second tier

SPECIAL MENTION

Ryan Mayse has built an Irish League reputation on ability to produce something special as a maverick playmaker but his experienced performance against Loughgall featured control and composure alongside energy on top of some key contributions