MAXIE SWAIN W AL T ER M IT T Y

By Lant facing up to reality of a difficult start to new campaign after the promise of last season fades

ERNIE LANT insists Ballywalter will roll with the punches and keep their chins up after a torrid start to the season.

After going so close to promotion last year, the Davidson Park outfit have struggled to hit the heights in the new campaign, with an 8-1 Border Cup hammering by Immaculata on Saturday the latest in a series of damaging setbacks.

This time a year ago, his team were setting the pace in the division, but despite picking up just five points from their first five league outings in the new term, there was a definite air of defiance about Lant when he spoke to Match On Tuesday over the weekend.

The last few months have been a huge test of character for him and his players, who have had to contend with not only the derailment of their 1B title challenge last May, but also the disappointment of missing out on an invite into 1A in the wake of UUJ’S troubles, and then the departure of a number of key players over the summer.

In football, as in life, it never rains but it pours, yet Lant (above) is determined to remain upbeat.

Saturday’s loss he has already written off, with his first team squad decimated and Lant forced to rely on the club’s academy.

He admits the loss of Aaron Dunlop and Lee Moore in particular have hit the club hard, but is adamant his team can rise from the wreckage of the last few months to become a force again.

“I’ve been speaking to a few players and I feel if we can get a few quality players in, I really do believe in us,” said the Davidson Park chief.

“It’s early, there are still 63 points to play for so I’m not going to rule us out. I’m not going to say we’re going to win the league, we’re not because at the minute we’re not good enough to win the league, but if we could get those players in, and I’m quietly confident we can, then I believe we can challenge again.

“And I do feel we will start to climb the table, we will be all right that way, but I do feel we need one or two quality players in just to get us back to where we were last season because it was disappointing the way we finished.

“We were almost there and then we gave it away at the end of the season, we really did, and a few different things went against us.

“Talking to the players, they all told me they were staying, and there were rumours I was going to walk, but I knew myself if I packed it in a lot of my players would have went and because of that reason, and not just that reason, I put myself down for another season and all of a sudden, boys are leaving me.

“But you just have to get on with it and at this stage of the season, some players are looking for other clubs, they don’t want to play their 10 games, maybe they are not happy at their clubs, so I’m hoping to get that one or two quality players in and I think I will.”

Lant admits he was a little naive to take players at their word following the unravelling of their title challenge last season.

After a superb campaign leading the way at the top of 1B, they were eventually pipped at the post by UUJ and Rosario, the former subsequently being demoted into Junior football due to their failure to secure a suitable home ground.

Ballywalter (below) held out hope that they would take their place in 1A, but were soon informed that wouldn’t be the case, with Lant’s woes compounded by the departure of two of his main men.

“Don’t get me wrong, you are disappointed to lose anybody, but out of the fellas who have left, Aaron Dunlop and Lee Moore – Lee went to the Welders and Aaron went to the Ards Rangers – we are missing those two, no doubt about it,” said the Ballywalter boss. “As regards anybody else who has left us, I’m not overly concerned about them, I think they can be replaced, but the squad is definitely not as big as it needs to be.

“I am confident if we get our strongest XI out on a Saturday, we can compete, we’ll win some, we’ll lose some, but we certainly won’t be in any trouble.

“But with what we have there, with injuries and when one or two are missing through injury or suspension, we really will start to struggle unless I get a few more in.”

In Dunlop’s absence, his cousin Josh Dunlop has stepped into the breach, netting close to a dozen goals already to fill the void.

Nevertheless, Lant feels up top is one of several positions where he could do with some added competition.

“Josh has scored 11 in his last four or five games but he’s only back from a cruciate, he is only really starting again this season so we could do with someone up there with him,” added the Ballywalter chief.

“We have brought a few in, but we could do with a couple more and if we get them in, I think we’ll be all right.

“We brought a centre half in there, Andy Ross, and I feel once we get him fit, then the football will be there because we have probably struggled to play out from the back so far this season.

“We haven’t had the players to do that, they are more defenders.

“But we do like to do things the right way and play out from the back and hopefully he will bring that to our game when he’s fully fit.”