Category: News

Dara Noonan Signs at The Showgrounds

Newry Manager Darren Mullen is delighted with his newest addition to the squad, “I’m delighted to welcome Dara to the club. He’s a player we’ve known about for a few years and comes with plenty of experience at this level. We’ve been lacking players in the defensive area due to injuries and although our defence has been superb this season it’s an area that needed to be strengthened. Dara fits the profile of what we are looking for and at only 23 I’m hoping his best years are in a Newry jersey. He’s also another local lad and I’m sure will fit easily into our squad.”

Dara commented,“I am delighted to sign for Newry, its a brilliant set up at The Showgrounds and the club has a very loyal following. Having played with Armagh City & Lurgan Celtic I know what it takes in this league but with the strong squad Darren has set up I think Newry are more than capable. Being local and having played against them I know the Newry players and that will help me settling in, it’s a matter of knuckling down and fighting for my place. There’s no stand out team in this league and we will soon move into the post split phase. There’s maybe still a wee bit of work to do to make sure we make that split and then its all to play for. I’ll be doing my very best to contribute to that.”

Photographs courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.

Manager’s corner (21.12.17)

This has been an eventful year for the club both on and off the pitch but one that has continued the terrific progress that we have been making. In the same period last season we were in the middle of a poor run of form and any promotion bid looked like an unlikely prospect. However we never lost belief within our group and thankfully we got the rewards that the players and coaching staff deserved. To achieve 3 promotions is no mean feat at any level of football and has made this year another memorable one for everyone involved at the club. That progress has continued into the first half of this season and although we got off to a poor start we are now on a terrific run of 12 games unbeaten. We know that there is a huge amount of football yet to be played but we are really enjoying our football at the minute with a Mid-Ulster cup Final against Glenavon also to look forward to. 

Not only have we progressed on the pitch but we have also grown as a club off it. With an ever increasing fan base, allied to the extremely loyal group that we have had from the beginning, they have acted as an extra man especially at away games where they have outnumbered most home support. To see the joy on their faces with our success is an added bonus and hopefully we can continue to keep them happy. Our commercial partners have also grown and we were delighted to have The Canal Court continue as our main sponsor for an additional 3 years. Along with Around-A-Pound, Clanrye Taxis, Newmay Electrical and Peak Electrics they have helped us in no small manner and we are extremely grateful for their continued support. As has been well documented in a recent Newry Reporter interview we need further support in this area and I would appeal to anyone who has an interest in helping the club in any way to get in touch with me. 

As with other clubs there are also lows in any year and we were deeply saddened to lose 2 former players in Tony Scappaticci and Paul Straney. Both had made a significant contribution to the club and along with fans that we have also lost this year they will be sorely missed at The Showgrounds. I have made reference to both players in certain team talks and if the current squad can match the effort that they made in a Newry jersey then we will be a better team for it.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ramy, Micky, Jervis and Gary who have provided terrific support. Along with Gary Redpath, Barry Traynor, Jason McConville, Kevin Darcy, Colm Murphy and all the other coaching staff, they have been doing an excellent job of providing players that are hopefully good enough to play first team football. Without their help and advice my job would be a lot more difficult and I am indebted to them for their continued efforts. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our committee for their efforts in 2017 and to all of the volunteers at the club, their contribution is greatly appreciated. 

Finally I would like to wish you all a Happy and Peaceful Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. I hope to see you all at The Showgrounds on Boxing Day for our final home game of the year against Lurgan Celtic.

Very Sad News

It is with profound sadness and deep regret that Newry City AFC has learned of the untimely passing of former Newry Town goalkeeper Paul Straney.

Paul, then just 23 years old, was a star performer of the Newry 1997/98 First Division title winning team. He also lined out for Newry in a 4-3 defeat of a Manchester United XI in August 1998 in front of a sellout crowd at the Showgrounds.

Paul in action for Newry against Manchester United

The following season Paul suffered a horrendous leg break in a game against Ballymena United, but such was the measure of the man, he went on to make a full recovery and made his long awaited return to the Newry first team for a Premiership match away to Omagh Town some 18 months later.

Newry City AFC Chairman Martin McLoughlin was first to lead the tributes for the popular Downpatrick based man.

“We are all deeply saddened by the passing of a real favourite here at the Showgrounds. Paul was a dedicated member of our team when we played in the Intertoto Cup. A true gentleman, who wore our colours proudly.”

Newry first team manager Darren Mullen said: “It’s terrible to think someone so young and full of life has passed away. I didn’t know Paul but have heard nothing but good reports about him. On behalf of all the players and coaching staff I would like to pass on our sincere condolences to his family.”

On Twitter, former Newry centre forward Andy Myler said: “Paul was a great goalkeeper and a great team mate. An unbelievable bloke.”

While another of Paul’s former team mates at Newry in the late 1990s, Jim Barr, added on Facebook, “Shocked and saddened to hear about Paul. He was a great keeper and a great character. R.I.P Paul.”

Newry fan Gareth McCullough echoed both Andy and Jim’s sentiments, saying: “Like everyone else in the Irish League, I am absolutely stunned and saddened by the death of Paul Straney. A great keeper who didn’t mess about on the pitch. Top man too. Part of the brilliant Newry Town team of the late 90s and always fondly remembered at the club.”

While another Newry supporter, Shane Campbell, added, “Very sad news, possibly my first goalkeeping hero back in the early days, lucky enough to be coached by him too, absolute gentleman.”

Newry City players will wear black armbands as a mark of respect in our match away to PSNI tomorrow, while a minute’s silence will be observed in memory of Paul prior to our next home fixture against Lurgan Celtic on Boxing Day.

The thoughts of everyone at Newry City AFC are with Paul’s family and friends at this very sad time. May he Rest in Peace.

Dergview 2-2 NCAFC

Newry City extended their unbeaten run to ten games but had to share the points in Castlederg as the home side, Dergview, twice came from behind to match goals for Newry from Decky Carville and Jimmy Walker. While a draw keeps that unbeaten run going Newry would have hoped for better after getting off to the best possible start. With only a minute on the clock Marty Havern cut the home defence open with a perfect pass into the stride of Carville who picked his spot wide of the Dergview Keeper Buchanan.

Chances came and went at both ends, Steven Maguire pushing a low shot from Gareth Falcolner around his post while for Newry Stephen Hughes and Carville combined on the Newry right set up Havern at the near post, Havern shot across goal going the wrong side of the far post.

The home side drew level on the quarter hour mark. Attacking down the left wing Newry were caught out when Falcolner switched play to the right wing where he found Aaron Arkinson who then picked out Ryan Campbell to volley home.

Newry almost responded in the best possible fashion, Walker clipping a free kick into the box met by a powerful header from Darren King the ball seemingly heading for the top corner only to be clawed back by a flying save from Buchanan.

Newry were handed the chance to go back ahead shortly before half time in somewhat controversial circumstances when referee Harrigan ruled that Dergview defender Richard Lynch had passed the ball back to his goal keeper who handled the ball, the referee awarding a free kick to Newry around the penalty spot. Newrys dead ball expert Walker elected for power smashing the ball past a crowded Dergview defensive line to leave Newry 2-1 ahead at the break.

The second half was only minutes old when Havern got behind the Dergview defence bearing down on goal only to be denied by an excellent last ditch challenge from Lee McNulty. While Maguire had to be at his best to push away an effort from McManus it was Buchanan who was the busier of the keepers in the second half, the Dergview custodian grateful to see a shot from Carville fizz the wrong side of his post and then to block a first time shot from Keith Johnston after he was set up by Stephen Hughes.

However despite Newrys offensive dominance they were unable to grab that vital third goal and were made to pay the price late in the game when a sweeping Dergview attack moved the ball from back to front, the ball eventually finding Browne on the edge of the box, his arrowed shot cannoning off the base of Maguires post and into the net for a share of the spoils.  There was still a chance for a 3rd Newry goal only for Decky Carville to dither when when placed in front of goal allowing a Dergview defender to get back to block and with that Newrys winning chance was gone.

Newry City Manager commented “When you score in the first minute of a game it should be the ideal way to push on and get three points. However we squandered chances in both halves and unfortunately paid the price again. That said Dergview certainly didn’t play like a team who are in the bottom half of the table and made it a difficult game. Their goals were two excellent strikes and there’s very little Steven could have done about them. I can’t fault the players for their effort as they worked hard all over the pitch and are annoyed that they didn’t get the win. We are on a terrific run at the minute and to go ten games unbeaten is a credit to them. On another day we would have put those chances away but it wasn’t to be and we now have a cup semi-final at home to look forward to.”

On Tuesday night, NCAFC welcome Banbridge Town to the Showgrounds in the Semi Final of the Mid Ulster Cup KO 7.45pm & then travel to Knockbreda on Saturday (9th December) Supporters bus departing from the Stonebridge at 12.15pm.

NCAFC: Maguire, McArdle, King, Boyle, M Hughes, McCann, Havern, Walker, S Hughes, Carville, McCabe. Subs: Mullen, Johnston, Richmond, Cunningham, McMahon.