Newry City completed a hat trick of wins for the season over Banbridge Rangers on Saturday with a victory which secures their place in the end of season Mid Ulster show piece Marshall Cup final. Before that the Newry boys will switch their sights to securing the league title on Tuesday night and will surely go into that game against Broomhill brimful of confidence with a league and cup treble now looking possible.

Fielding what was probably their strongest team of the season Banbridge Rangers started the game on the front foot but were unable to turn their early possession into a strike on goal. Indeed it was the home side who created the first chance, Jimmy Walker pitching a ball to the edge of the box which Sean McMullan chested down for Decky Carville to strike, his shot however rising from the moment it left his boot.

Danger to the Newry goal on 17 minutes when a deflection from a Newry player in the middle of the field saw the ball fall to Rangers centre forward Stephen Taggart loitering goal side of the Newry defenders. Fortunately for Newry Taggart was as surprised as anyone to get the ball which allowed Conor McCaul, who was carrying a knock from an earlier clash, to quickly recover the necessary ground to make a superbly timed tackle to clear the danger for a corner.

That earlier knock was to have further ramifications for Newry as without McCaul, who had to leave the field to receive treatment, the home side were unable to deal with the corner which was allowed to travel right across the face of the Newry goal to the back post where Jeff Brady turned the ball goalwards and despite the best efforts of Chris McMahon to prevent it from crossing the line any doubt that Brady’s effort had gone in was rendered immaterial when Mark Wilton stabbed the loose ball past Murphy to give Banbridge the lead.

With plenty of time on the clock the home side gradually got on top and created a number of chances before half time which on another day would have bore fruit. With 24 minutes gone Jimmy Walker blasted a free kick from the corner of the box which appeared destined for the far top corner only for a brave headed interception from Ryan Gregg. On 36 minutes McMullan saw the opportunity for a quick short corner allowing Walker time to find Carville at the back post, his sliding effort diverted wide.

Chances kept coming, with five minutes remaining McMahon pushed forward to play a low cross into the box which Mark Patton controlled before unselfishly setting up McMullan, the striker making room to get his shot away which beat Ivon Blevins but not William Frazer who covered behind his keeper to make a terrific clearance. Completely on top Newry simply didn’t want the half to end and had one more glorious chance before the break when Paddy Mooney crossed to the back post, Thomas McCann lobbed the ball back to the centre of the goal for Carville who looked set to score but couldn’t keep his header down, the ball slipping over the crossbar much to Banbridge Rangers relief.

As expected Newry dominated possession from the restart but found it difficult to create clear chances against a visiting team who appeared content to hold onto their single goal lead. With the half minutes old McMullan spread play wide to McCann who swung a dangerous ball across the box which beat everyone to go harmlessly wide. Newry continued to probe for an opening without success until the hour mark when McMullan was fouled on the edge of the box, perfect for a Walker strike on goal. As so often this season Walker found the target with his free kick which he bent up and over the wall, Blevins tipping his shot over with a fine diving save.

The home side grabbed an equalizer after 65 minutes in somewhat contentious circumstances. Beginning with a Walker corner on the right the ball bounced around the box and with the Newry fans shouting for a penalty when Neil Mullen was flattened, Carville nodded the ball down to Mark Patton and while Banbridge appealed for offside he blasted the ball to the roof of the net for a deserved equalizer for the Newry boys.

Minutes later and Newry had almost turned the game around, McMullan chasing a long pass to the end line where he feigned to cross but cut back inside the box which completely lost Ryan Gregg and now from an acute angle the league’s top scorer went for the near post but found Blevins up to the challenge, the keeper blocking his shot at the expense of a corner. Although restricted to attacking on the break the visitors still posed a threat and could have scored on 75 minutes when a crossed ball evaded the Newry defence, fortunately for the home side also beating the sole Rangers attacker.

On 80 minutes Thomas McCann won the ball in midfield, quickly found Carville who played a clever ball inside the full back for McCann to run onto, the move foiled by the alert Blevins who was quickly off his line to clear. At the other end Newry were saved by Peter Murphy who displayed terrific reactions to deflect a Brady volley from close range for a corner.

Newry manger Darren Mullen had the luxury of having four quality attacking players on the bench and it was a movement which involved two of these which finally won the game for Newry. With only two minutes remaining and play deep inside the Banbridge half Timmy Grant knocked the ball to Walker who played an instinctive lobbed ball over the Rangers defence for Stephen McCabe to use that burst of speed which he has always possessed to get to the ball first, McCabe the calmest man on the pitch as he lobbed the advancing Blevins, the ball taking one bounce as it entered the Banbridge net to give Newry the lead which they held to the final whistle setting up a final against Valley Rangers on Friday 13^th May at Crystal Park.

With Tuesday’s league game against Broomhill next on the agenda Newry manager Darren Mullen was delighted with Saturday’s performance ‘This was a really good cup tie which I knew was going to be a difficult game. From the first minute the tempo was high and we needed to be up for the challenge. Unfortunately some poor defending cost us before the half but I thought we finished the half stronger and looked the more likely to score. The message at half time was not to panic and that we had come from behind numerous times this season. We were the better side in the second half and knew if we were patient the goals would come.

Thankfully they did and we ran out deserving winners. Having the likes of Giggsy, Timmy and Lowry ready to come off the bench gives us real pace in attack and they are all a handful for any defence. We now have another cup final to look forward to in what will no doubt be another tough game but our focus now turns to Tuesday night. Hopefully our supporters will turn out in force in what is a massive game for us and a great opportunity to win another league title. Broomhill won’t make it easy for us but we are ready to face the challenge.’

This weekend, Newry were delighted to have a special guest as our Match day Mascot. Captain Chris McMahon, Niall Crilly & Sean McMullan first met Kaiden McAlinden at Christmas when they visited the Childrens Ward in Daisy Hill Hospital.

At only four years old Kaiden enjoyed his whole experience of being mascot, taking part in the team warm up while scoring a goal against Newrys number one Murphy, walking out on to the pitch with the team for kick off and even presented Conor McCaul with his Man of the Match Award. Kaiden was certainly up for the job!

 

The Newry City AFC Travel Club bus to Broomhill will be departing from the Stonebridge at 6pm sharp on Tuesday night. All are welcome.

Newry City AFC Team: Murphy, Mooney, McCaul, Mullen, McMahon, McCann, McArdle, Carville, Walker, Patton, McMullan. Subs: McCabe, Grant, Johnson, Lowry, Edgar.

 

Not one of Newry’s better performances this season and probably only memorable for a goal of the season contender but that will not worry Newry manager Darren Mullen and his team, their only interest being the three points on offer to the winners of Tuesday night’s league game against Fivemiletown at The Showgrounds. Those points, which were secured for Newry with goals from Decky Carville, Paddy Mooney, Mark Patton and a wonder goal from Thomas McCann, place Newry in a commanding position at the top of Intermediate A needing at most two points from two games to secure the league title and a chance, most likely after a play-off, to return to Irish league football which was Mullen’s goal from the day he set about reforming the club. “We now need two points to secure the league title and it’s a little ironic that the first  chance to get those points will come at Broomhill where we secured the Intermediate B title in 2014. Broomhill will not lie down for us and I’m sure will make it difficult. Considering Fivemiletown beat us three times last season it was a relief tonight to complete a hat trick of wins against them this season. At times we played some terrific football but poor passing especially in the final third kept the score line down. The second half was good in parts but we did what was needed to get the points and that’s really all that matters at this point in the season. We have been defensively very strong all year and with the attacking threat we pose it has been very difficult for anyone to play against us this season. For now we have a semi final to look forward to and our sole focus is on that game on Saturday.”

As for the game it wasn’t until the 15^th minute that either keeper was tested, Thomas McCann firing in a speculative effort from outside the box straight at Fivemiletown keeper Olly Scallon. However better was to come for Newry as Scallons kick out, against the breeze, reached only the half way line where Decky Carville won possession and immediately bore down on the visitor’s box, skipping first past a defender before rounding the advancing keeper and planting the ball into the Fivemiletown net to settle the home side’s nerves. It was Carville who had Newrys next scoring chance after 25 minutes when his header from a Jimmy Walker corner was saved by the keeper. This time Scallons distribution created a chance for his own team, his early kick down field finding Newry a little short handed at the back following the corner, the ball latched onto by Ashley McFarland who made his way into the Newry penalty area and although shepherded wide by a Newry defender was able to get a shot on goal forcing Peter Murphy to turn the ball around his post for a corner.

 

On 33 minutes a mix up in an otherwise solid Fivemiletown defence presented the ball to Thomas McCann to the right of the visitor’s penalty area. Gifted with a tremendous ability McCann attempted an audacious curling shot with the outside of this right foot, the ball passing inches wide of the far post. Strength in a tackle is another of McCann’s attributes and on 35 minutes he demonstrated all these skills in 30 seconds, taking the ball down the right wing outside and inside challenges which were robust enough for the linesman to flag for fouls but not strong enough to stop McCann who shrugged them off, cut inside the box and from the narrowest of angles curled a shot once more with the outside of his right boot across the face of goal and into the far top corner for a magnificent goal.

 

On top Newry kept pressing for goal number three, Chris McMahon pushing forward from right back creating an overlap to get dangerous crosses into the Fivemiletown box unfortunate that the ball simply refused to fall kindly for a Newry boot leaving the half time score 2-0.

Much like the first half the second started slowly but when it did come to life on the 65^th minute it was worth the wait. Picking the ball up from Murphy, McMahon sprayed an early pass wide to McCann. With the Fivemiletown defence stretched McCann swung a ball from just inside the opposing half arcing into the penalty area just too far in front of McMullan but falling for Paddy Mooney who had gauged its flight perfectly meeting the ball with a sweet shot which fizzed low past Scallon to put Newry 3-0 up. On 78 minutes it could have been four, the recently introduced Mark Patton crossing from the right wing to fellow substitute Stephen McCabe, his intelligent run to the front post not rewarded with the goal it deserved with Scallon pulling off the save.

 

Minutes later the visitors pulled a goal back when the persistence of Jordan Garrity paid off when he got the better of two home defenders on the by line to cross to the edge of the six yard box from where Jock Kerr gave Murphy no chance with a clinical finish. Newry were in no mood to let the points slip and sealed the win with minutes left when the ever industrious Carville won the ball in midfield and played a perfect ball into the channel for Patton to run onto and from inside the box he drilled a low shot across Scallon into the corner of the net to seal the victory and the valuable points for Newry.

 

Newry now set their sights on the semi final of the Marshall cup in which they host Banbridge Rangers at The Showground’s on Saturday 30^th April, KO 2:15pm. Then on Tuesday 3^rd May Newry travel to play Broomhill in their penultimate league game of the season, KO 7pm. Travel club bus will leave The Stonebridge at 6 PM.

 

Newry City AFC: Murphy, McMahon, Curran, Mullen, McCaul, McArdle, Walker, Carville, McMullan, McCann, Mooney, Subs: Patton, Edgar, McCabe, Grant, Lowry.