Jim Ervin admits Ballymena United not happy with 'terrible' pitch and praises club's 'incredible talent' after Premiership impact

The Sky Blues kept their bid for a top-half finish alive by beating the Ports 2-0 last weekend, ending a seven-game winless league run which leaves them sitting in ninth but still only nine points adrift of third-placed Dungannon Swifts.

Ballymena will be back at home on Saturday when they host reigning champions Larne and will once again have to deal with testing conditions on a heavy pitch that has continued to cause issues this season, cutting up significantly under foot throughout matches.

Ervin’s men have struggled for results at the Showgrounds this term – only bottom two Loughgall (nine) and Carrick Rangers (16) have collected fewer home points than Ballymena (17) – but have shown signs of progression in recent weeks.

Only a dramatic late Kyle McClean equaliser stopped them claiming victory over leaders Linfield while they’ve since rescued a point of their own against Glentoran and ended Portadown’s three-game unbeaten run thanks to goals from James Hood and Joe Moore.

During a Mid & East Antrim Council – the owners of the venue – meeting last January, it was reported that Ballymena Showgrounds would be the first site for an artificial pitch in a new strategy and with the £36.2million Northern Ireland Football Fund now open, the Sky Blues will likely be amongst a host of clubs looking to get a share of the money to upgrade facilities.

Two of their final five pre-split fixtures will be staged at home – they welcome Cliftonville on March 15 alongside Saturday’s clash with Larne – and Ervin praised his players for fighting through in tough conditions.

"It's terrible, let's be honest,” he told BBC Sportsound. “We can't hide from it.

"We're not happy with it, but what can we do? We can't do anything now...we're mid-season and the pitch is what it is, but what the players have given me on it is exceptional.

"They're still trying to play football in the right way. You have to play the conditions and when we saw the pitch we knew it was going to cut up.

"We needed to make sure we didn't make mistakes. I've said for weeks now that games of football are won or lost in either box - it's how you defend yours and attack the other one."

Teenage striker Hood has now made four Premiership appearances this season, following on from six last term, and marked a memorable first goal with his weekend opener.

"He probably wasn’t expecting to play, but my goodness what a strike,” added Ervin. “He’s the type of kid who takes things as they come and doesn’t think too much about it.

"He’s an incredible talent and incredible player for such a young age. He has been away with the Northern Ireland Schoolboys in the last few weeks.

"He probably wasn’t expecting to play but when we named the team we told him to go and do what he does in training.

"The players have so much respect for him and to finish it off with that type of goal was incredible and it’s a special moment for him.”