Ards welcome Ballinamallard United at Clandeboye Park, Bangor on Thursday, Dec 31 at 4:00 PM in a Championship fixture that's tighter on paper than the positions suggest — just 1 point split them in the table.

Ards come into this fixture out of form (1W 2L recently). Ballinamallard United travel struggling badly (1W 3L in last 5), which may hand the initiative to the hosts. Ards won their last outing, while Ballinamallard United suffered defeat — home advantage backed by momentum.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Ards and Ballinamallard United have split their 10 meetings almost evenly (4W–3D–3W). Their last encounter ended in a 1–1 draw.

Verdict: Little separates these two on form or history. Home advantage could be the deciding factor — a narrow Ards win or a draw looks most likely.