Oran Kearney highlights Ballymena United star Irish League fans 'don't get to see best of' due to pitch situation

Corbally provided the initial spark for last weekend’s 2-1 Premiership win over Carrick Rangers with his driving run and shot deflecting off the post and landing at the feet of team-mate Igor Rutkowski for a simple tap-in.

As the News Letter reported in December, Corbally has attracted interest from a host of clubs across the water and has been one of Ballymena’s standout players since joining from Wexford in January 2025.

The 22-year-old has been a trusted member of the Sky Blues squad under both former manager Jim Ervin and successor Kearney, making 29 Premiership appearances this term, scoring five goals in the process.

Kearney’s views of Ballymena’s Showgrounds pitch are well documented with the former Coleraine chief slamming the surface as “horrific” earlier this month, and he feels playmaker Corbally is amongst those suffering the most.

"We've spoken to Kian a load about it where he's such a talent, and again, probably part of what I meant (about the pitch) was, sadly, the league and particularly Ballymena fans, they do not get to see the best of him because of the pitch,” said Kearney. "But he's such a good player, he's technically so good, he has goals in him, he has assists in him, and he trains like an absolute demon.

"He's a great young fella.

"But at times out there, he just finds it tough. It's the confidence of being able to look up from the ball as it's arriving in, which he can't do on that pitch, which very much negates his style of play.

"We've just kept at him and kept at him and kept at him...he played off the right (last weekend), but he pops up. I said it to him before the game, if you watch Paul Heatley, Heatley plays off the side, but always pops up in central area and tries to score goals.

"I said, ‘Kian, we don't need you out there. If the ball's in and around Igor, see if you can get in and around him’, which he did, to be fair."

Ballymena round out their pre-split schedule with Saturday’s trip to Cliftonville, where they’ll be looking to build on only a third league win in 14 games since Kearney’s appointment.

Having leapfrogged Bangor into ninth and moved within two points of Portadown, Kearney’s full focus is on looking up the Premiership table.

"The changing room has been really calm since we've come in,” he added. “Everything has been good in terms of attitude, everything has been brilliant, and we're not ramping up any pressure on players in there.

"The big thing for us has always been, and it's never been any different for me, no matter where you're at, is catch the team above you.

"We've managed to overtake Bangor, we're two points off Portadown and we play them again in the split.

"We have six games left and the mindset is now ‘can we catch Portadown?’. I only ever look up.”