North-West Senior Cup joy for Ballinamallard United while Newry City lift the Mid-Ulster Cup

The Mallards celebrated a 4-1 win against a young Coleraine side at The Showgrounds as a hat-trick from Patrick Ferry eased Harry McConkey’s side to victory.

The Championship side would find themselves 3-0 up at the break as Ferry latched onto a cross from Nick Palmer’s cross, before the striker seized upon poor defending to double his tally just after the half-hour mark.

Caolan McAleer was also on the scoresheet for the visitors as he let fly from distance and the tie was put beyond doubt as Ferry headed home from McAleer’s corner kick in the second-half.

There would be some late joy for the Bannsiders as Eamon Fyfe netted a late consolation for the hosts with a cracking strike from distance.

The success marks a second triumph for the Mallards in the competition and the perfect tonic after losing last year’s decider to Dergview.

Elsewhere, in the Mid-Ulster Cup, there was an all top flight affair as Dungannon Swifts and Newry City locked horns at Stangmore Park.

City took the lead after just six minutes as a ball into the box wasn’t defended by the hosts and James Teelan was in the right place at the right time.

The Swifts tried to get back into the game and threatened as Joe McCready had an attempt tipped away for a corner, with the resulting set piece seeing Michael O’Connor having a goal bound effort cleared off the line by Dale Montgomery.

However, Darren Mullen’s side would edge further ahead just before the break as another ex-Dungannon man got in on the act. A ball forward presented Thomas Lockhart with the perfect opportunity and he slotted past Adam Groogan to make it 2-0.

The Swifts needed a quick response after the interval but it didn’t really happen and the best they could muster was a strike from Michael Ruddy which was stopped by Steven Maguire, with James Knowles providing Ruddy with another chance but he also couldn’t find a way past the stopper.