A second-half brace by Ballinmallard’s Jason McCartney last night has edged Institute on the brink of relegation.
The 2-0 Mallard win at Ferney Park brought them even closer to the safety zone in the Danske Bank Premier League.
But it leaves Institute staring down the barrel of the relegation gun.
The Co Derry side remain eight points adrift at the foot of the table with games rapidly running out for them to stop the drop down a league.
‘Stute were were the brighter side throughout the opening 45 minutes.
Mallard keeper Stefan McCusker kept the home side at 0-0 going into the half time break.
His feet denied Ben Doherty with a cracking strike which was heading for the bottom corner.
And McCusker twice prevented Robbie Hume from breaking the deadlock – first pushing aside a thundering strike and then doing well to push away Hume’s swerving freekick on the stroke of half time.
After a poor first half, Alfie Wylie’s Mallards came out in the second half a much improved team.
‘Stute keeper Corey Wilson pulled off two good saves early in the second half, including one from a McMenamin header.
Liam Martin’s attempt at a shot fell to McCartney and he made no mistake in slotting home from close range.
The home side took the game by the scruff of the neck.
Substitute Ryan Campbell twice went close before McCartney doubled the home side’s advantage on 73 minutes.
He got on the end of a Lafferty flick on to lash a fierce drive beyond Wilson to make it 2-0 to wrap up the three points and push them into the safety zone.
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