Friday night football is back at Mourneview Park in Glenavon’s only home game in February as Ballinamallard United come to Lurgan for Match 29 in the Danske Bank Premiership.

On their last visit to Mourneview the Mallards went away with a win after Adam Lecky scored a late, late penalty to grab all three points and in the recent fixture at Ferney Park it took a late equaliser by Glenavon player-manager Gary Hamilton to secure a point for the Lurgan Blues.

Ballinamallard’s Adam Lecky scores from the penalty spot in the last game at Mourneview Park. Photo Alan Weir

Lecky, the Mallard’s leading goal scorer, has since moved to Australia but Ryan Mayse has stepped up to the mark and has six goals to his name, including last week’s winner against Cliftonville.

With five games, including Friday’s match, remaining until the league splits and an Irish Cup Quarter Final with Portadown to look forward to, Gary Hamilton is aiming to “try and win as many of the next six games as we can, to finish as high in the league as we can and make the Irish Cup semi-final. Over the past few seasons we’ve done well in cup competitions and if we can finish in the top six that is like another cup competition with a place in Europe at stake.”

“The number of draws this season has been a big factor but they’ve been by fine margins so hopefully the addition of Andrew Mitchell next season will see us turning those draws into wins.

“We need to be positive and play with less fear. We’ve analyzed everything this season and we’ve given all the teams in the top six hard games. Against the teams in the bottom six sometimes it looks like, because we’re expected to win, that the players are playing with fear and that’s something we’re working hard to put right.

“Ballinamallard have pace in attack and they can hurt you on the counter. I never thought they were in any danger of finishing in the relegation places as they are a decent side so it’s no surprise to me that they are on a good run of form at the minute.

“They beat us here in September but we had enough chances that day to win three games but we couldn’t take them and kill them off. It won’t be easy tomorrow night but I’m hoping we put in the sort of performance that is long overdue and we’ll get the three points.”

Reminder: Tickets for our Irish Cup QF with Portadown will be on sale in the Bedeck Sports Bar from 6:45pm ahead of tomorrow’s match. Payments by Cash or Cheque only.