A game won with a wonder strike from Sean Hand but this was a complete team performance from Newry City starting from goal keeper Peter Murphy who made some crucial saves, a defence superbly marshalled by Neil Mullen, a mid field led by Man of the Match Decky Carville who covered every blade of grass through to Stephen McCabe who showed when introduced as a substitute with 15 minute remaining that returning from injury he retains all the tricks and pace that he has displayed for years.

Fresh from a routine win over Seapatrick Newry would have been travelled to the Lisburn venue expecting a much tougher examination from a Ballymacash team who are better than their mid table position suggests and that’s exactly what transpired, the visitors delighted to hear the final whistle which sealed a solitary goal win and a vital three points.

Newry started off on the front foot, Keith Johnston and Sean McMullan combining to feed the ball into the path of Decky Carville, his shot from inside the box blocked by the legs of the advancing Ballymacash keeper Jonathon Lecky.

At this stage chances were few and far between, indeed it was the 20^th minute before the second shot at either goal, Newry’s Kevin McArdle picking the ball up on the half way line and advancing before cracking in a low shot which Leckey spilled forward, fortunate to see his defence clear as Johnston followed up. Newrys next chance minutes later was along the same lines, McArdle controlling a scuffed Leckey kick out and again moving forward into a shooting position this time pulling his shot wide.

The home side came close on the half hour mark when Ian Metcalf tried his luck from 30 yards from goal, his dipping shot cannoning of the Newry crossbar with Murphy stranded.

Newry quickly replied with a chance of their own, McMullan holding the ball up for Johnston to cross to the back post where Hand won a cushioned header, the ball hacked away from inside the small box just as Carville arrived.

Newry opened the scoring on 38 minutes with a wonderful goal, created and scored by their two Dundalk based players, McArdle and Hand. Picking the ball up on the half way line McArdle drove forward skipping past challenges until he arrived wide at the junction of the penalty area where he stood on the ball to stop it dead, setting it perfectly for Hand to strike first time with the inside of his right foot, the ball curling perfectly to nestle into the far top corner of the Ballymacash net to put Newry a goal up.

That lead was maintained until half time thanks to a fine save from Murphy who was fast of his line as Ballymacash danger man Kenny Campbell bore down on goal, the Newry keeper bravely spreading himself amongst feet to smother the ball.

The second half was fairly even with both sides making chances. On 50 minutes a diagonal ball from Paddy Mooney cut out the Ballymacash defence, Carville timing his run perfectly to head the ball past the advancing keeper desperately unfortunate to see the ball bounce before the base of the post and veer the wrong side. On the hour mark Carville won another header in the box, this time from a Graeme Edgar free kick, Carville’s nod down falling to McMullan who swilled to shoot straight into the mid drift of Leckey who saved.

On 70 minutes Murphy produced one of the saves of the season after a Ballymacash corner was powerfully headed towards goal from close range, the Newry keeper with lightening reactions springing full length to tip the ball around the post for a corner.

Fresh legs were needed for Newry and with a full bench to choose from Newry introduced Mark Patton and Stephen McCabe, both player’s presenting new challenges to a tiring home defence.

On 85 minutes McCabe created the chance the visitors had been waiting on, beating his marker and from the end line firing in a low cross which fell perfectly for Carville who went for a precision finish into the corner but saw his effort go just the wrong side of the post. Fortunately it wasn’t costly as the Newry defence stood firm with the home side throwing everything forward as the game moved into injury time and beyond, that wonder strike from Hand remaining the only goal in a keenly contested game. After the game Newry manager Darren Mullen was particularly satisfied with his team “This was a big win for us in what I knew was going to be a very difficult game. We came here last year and didn’t put up a fight but we have a completely different mentality this season that is showing its rewards. Sometimes you have to battle to get a result and that was the case in this game. It was a tough game for the full 90 minutes but we stood up to the physical challenge and were worthy winners in the end. It’s not the easiest place to come to and I expect them to take points off other teams but all we are doing at the minute is taking one game at a time. We now have a squad of players who not only are talented but are willing to work hard and buy into what we are trying to do at the club. That’s Sean Hands 3rd goal since he came back and will rightly get credit for a super goal but it was a team performance from start to finish. While we are happy with the win its soon forgot about and we now look forward to hosting Tandragee.’

Newry City AFC: Murphy, McMahon, Edgar, Mullen, Curran, McArdle, Walker, Johnston, McMullan, Carville, Hand Subs: Patton, Lowry, McCabe, McVerry, Mooney.

Newrys next match is against Tandragee at The Showgrounds on Tuesday night, 15^th March kick off 7:45 pm. On Saturday Newry City travel to Lower Maze for a 2:15 kick off. Newry City travel club bus will leave the Stonebridge at 1pm.  

Newry City gathered another valuable three points on Tuesday night with an emphatic win over Seapatrick thanks to a hat trick from the mercurial Jimmy Walker, a brace from Sean Hand and the obligatory strike from Sean McMullan.  Although that six goal victory was probably the minimum winning margin that the home side deserved Newry manager Darren Mullen was happy to seal the points and move on to the weekend game at Ballymacash “Although the scoreline doesn’t flatter us we still made hard work of the game in the first half. We needed to improve in the second and certainly did that without ever really being troubled. The conditions didn’t help either team but we created loads of chances and looked dangerous every time we went forward. Decky Carville’s return to the team gives us another dimension and he works well alongside Walker and McCann. It was also great to see Stephen McCabe back in action and I’ve no doubt he will be a huge asset to us for the remainder of the season. The clean sheet was also pleasing considering we uncharacteristically conceded three in our last game. Saturday’s game will be a lot tougher but one we are looking forward to.’

In a game that they would have expected to win it was important that Newry got off to a good start and they got the early goal they needed after only eight minutes, Keith Johnston crossing from the right wing, McMullan’s run to the front post attracting the Seapatrick defence, the ball eluding everyone except Hand who had held his run outside the box and was now able to take a touch before drilling the ball into the bottom corner of the net to put Newry an early goal up.

Seapatrick had an immediate chance to reply Michael Cunningham’s shot from the edge of the box squirming under Newry keeper Peter Murphy who quickly reacted to smother the ball with Cunningham following up.

At the other end McMullan almost made it two, taking possession on the edge of the box with his back to goal the big man shifted the ball to his left in doing so losing his marker and with Buchanan advancing from his line McMullan took the clever option, deftly chipping the ball over his head only to be denied by Adam Kerr who got back to hook the ball over his own crossbar.

On twenty minutes it was to be 2-0, neat interplay between Decky Carville and Hand ended when the later was taken down inside the box, the referee with little option but to award a penalty to Newry which was safely tucked home by McMullan for his 33rd goal of the season.

Completely dominant, Newry’s failure was that they only added a further goal before half time and a collector’s item it was. Carville and Johnston combining to make room to cross into the box finding the unlikely head of Jimmy Walker who cleverly nodded the ball over Buchanan to put Newry 3-0 up at the break.

Straight after the break it was 4-0, Hand winning a race with Walker for a loose ball which he took on the bounce lobbing over the advancing Buchanan to seal any faint hopes which Seapatrick might have harboured.

That said the visitors never stopped competing and broke forward in numbers at every opportunity. However they never looked like breaching a composed Newry defence and ultimately this attacking attitude produced further chances for Newry.

Goal number five came on the hour mark, Walker broke forward and with a host of choices he slipped the ball to the recently introduced Mark Patton who blasted in a shot which Buchanan could only block out to Walker who had continued his run into the box and was now perfectly placed to give the keeper no chance as he claimed Newry’s fifth.

In miserable conditions Newry were content to keep possession but still created enough opportunities to hit double figures before the final whistle with wayward shooting and some fine saves from Buchanan keeping the score line respectable. That was until the final moments when Newry could have had three goals in as many minutes. First Thomas McCann, who had yet another power house display in the Newry mid field, picked the ball upon the half way line, carrying possession to the edge of the box before bringing the best out of Buchanan with a dipping shot which the keeper did well to push wide. Newry had also introduced Mark Lowry and he created the next chance slipping a clever ball through the Seapatrick defence for Walker to run onto, Walker’s fleet of foot to twist in possession too much for a weary Seapatrick defender who took his legs away resulting in Newrys second penalty of the evening. Eyeing a hat trick Walker claimed the spot kick but was denied the goal, pulling the spot kick the wrong side of the post. However, he was not to be denied the match ball for long as with time running out the mid fielder picked the ball up in the centre of the pitch and ran at Seapatrick defence before picking his spot from the edge of the area to claim his hat trick and much deserved Man of the Match award!

Newry City: Murphy, McMahon, Edgar, Mullen, Curran, McCann, Walker, Johnston, Carville, Hand Subs: Patton, Lowry, McCabe, McVerry, Martin

Newry City 3-3 Crewe United

Newry staged a dramatic late comeback to salvage their unbeaten league record against Crewe United on an afternoon of high drama at a sunny, but cold, Newry Showgrounds. A close encounter had been predicted, the visitors having lost only once in the league themselves, but few expected the two sides with the best defensive records in Intermediate A to share six goals. As it transpired, Crewe looked set for victory before Newry’s late salvo stunned the Glenavy side.

There was little sign of what was to follow during a cagey opening, with Crewe defending deep and Newry finding it difficult to create any meaningful chances. The first incident of note came just after the quarter hour mark when Newry were awarded a free kick inside the box, after Crewe goalkeeper Stephen Harbinson picked up a back pass on the six yard line. The keeper redeemed himself with a fine save from Jimmy Walker’s free, before Mark Patton’s follow up was cleared off the Crewe line by a defender, with Newry making loud appeals for a handball.

Sean McMullan and Kevin McArdle had further half chances for Newry before Crewe struck with their first real attack of note. The lively Mark McCullough struck from distance and Peter Murphy helped his effort round the post, but from the resulting corner, big defender Stephen Curley was left in acres of space to fire home. 

Newry looked to hit back quickly but were getting little change out of the well drilled visiting rear-guard, with Crewe beginning to look increasingly dangerous on the break. However, with half time approaching, Newry won a corner and when Mark Patton’s header was blocked; the ball fell to Ian Curran who blasted home the equaliser.

Buoyed by the goal, Newry started the second moiety on the front foot and had a great chance to take the lead when McArdle burst through and faced by the advancing Harbinson, he seemed to be caught between passing or shooting, ultimately doing neither and the danger was cleared. How costly that would prove as Crewe immediately worked the ball up the field to McCullough who ran in behind the Newry defence and chipped Murphy to restore the Crewe lead. 

Newry responded well, McArdle bursting through again, but this time the midfielder was bundled over, with the home side again claiming for a penalty. Nothing given and things took another turn for the worse as almost immediately Newry went further behind. They were caught on their heels in midfield and Crewe defender William McCracken will do well to catch one as cleanly as the effort he rifled in to the top corner from distance, with Murphy rooted to the spot. 

Newry manager Darren Mullen had seen enough and sprang Mark Lowry and Declan Carville from the bench, as he sought to ask different questions of a Crewe defence that had in the main dealt well with everything Newry threw at them. It took a while, but gradually the pace and running power of Carville in particular began to nudge Crewe out of their comfort zone.

Crewe were now on the back foot, but aside from a Harbinson save from Walker, Newry, for all their possession, were struggling to create real chances. McMullan almost got on the end of an exquisite through ball from Carville, but for once the big man’s touch let him down and Harbinson smothered. 

As the game entered the final ten minutes it looked as if Newry were about to surrender their proud home record before they were handed a life line. Mark Lowry’s quick feet were too much for Craig Leworthy who scythed down the Newry man inside the box. McMullan was the man to step up and he slotted home an inch perfect penalty. No margin for error here, as Harbinson went the right way, but McMullan’s penalty was right into the corner. 

Newry had a sniff of something but Crewe weren’t for capitulating lightly. Indeed it took until the final minute for the home team to create another clear chance, a lovely passing move releasing full back Chris McMahon, but his shot from a tight angle was saved by Harbinson. There was, however, a final sting in the tail as the game entered injury time. Ian Curran strode forward to deliver a long ball to McMullan who controlled well and although his effort was blocked, the ball fell to Neil Mullen who slotted home to the delight of the Newry support. Three goals in four games for the manager’s brother, but none as important as this.

Speaking after the game, manager Mullen commented that the game proved to be every bit as tough as he’d anticipated; “they are an experienced, well organised side and after how the game panned out I’m happy with the point. We had a lot of possession throughout the game but gave a lot of ball away and got punished with two very well taken goals in the second half. When we were 1-3 down the message to the players was that we are now being tested and can we respond. The introduction of Mark and Decky gave us the pace and movement we needed to open them up and once we got back to 2-3 I knew we would get another chance. It was a very cool finish from Neil as a makeshift centre forward and shows we have goals throughout the team. There’s a lot we need to improve on from this game, but that said we remain unbeaten and the manner of our comeback keeps confidence high within the squad. There’s a great spirit within this group and they refuse to accept defeat until the final whistle. Crewe will also take points from the other top teams but all we can do is focus on ourselves for the remaining 12 league games.”

The first of the remaining twelve takes place at the Showgrounds on Tuesday evening when Newry host Seapatrick (7.45pm) and City follow that up with a trip to Ballymacash Rangers next Saturday (2.15pm). The Supporter’s Club bus leaves the Stone Bridge at 1pm on Saturday and all are welcome to come along and support the team. 

Newry City: Murphy, Mooney, McMahon, Mullen, Curran, McCann, Walker, McArdle (Lowry), McMullan, Patton (Carville), Johnston (Hand). Subs not used: Edgar, Richmond.