Newry City Reserves kept alive their hopes of the Mid Ulster Reserve League title with a hard fought 2-1 win on Wednesday evening at home to Valley Rangers Reserves. A game which started off slowly burst into life after 25 minutes, Newry’s Jordan King pushing forward from left back before swapping passes with Sean McMullan and drilling a shot from 30 yards which the Valley keeper William Charleton did well to tip onto the post. In a strange twist, seconds later play immediately swung to the other end, Valleys Robert McCullough making room for himself on the left wing before he also tried his luck from distance, also unfortunate to see his shot smack the upright.

The home side were gradually getting on top and almost broke the deadlock on the half hour mark, dead ball specialist Paulis Smaryginas hitting a free kick from 35 yards which swerved and dipped on its way to goal, Charleton producing a fine save pushing the ball over his cross bar for a corner. The danger however hadn’t passed, Quinns corner falling to Chris McMahon who had two efforts on goal blocked before the ball was scrambled clear. With 40 minutes on the clock and somewhat against the run of play Valley grabbed the opening goal, Jonathon McMath beating Marty Marron with a low shot from the edge of the box.

The lead however was not to last until half time, McMahon pitching a free kick into the feet of centre forward McMullan, the big man completely losing his marker with a Cryuff turn before laying the ball across the face of goal giving Neil Mullen the simple task of placing the ball past Charleton to leave the score level at the break.

The home side were almost caught cold in the early moments of the second half. With a free kick in the centre circle Valleys Andrew McCoy spotted the chance to take the Newry defence out of the game with a long free kick into the path of McMath who looked sure to score only for a superb sliding block from Mullen. The home side made the most of this reprieve on 50 minutes when King again strode forward, his run taking him inside the Valley penalty area where he was halted by a cynical trip, referee McArdle pointing straight to the penalty spot. With penalty king McMullan stepping up to the spot kick there was only going to be one result, McMullan placing the ball inside the post out of the reach off Charleton for what turned out to be the winning goal.

There was however still a lot of football to be played, Valley who held an outside chance to win the league giving their all to get back into the game but were unable to break a stubborn Newry defence in which the central pair of Gerard Mooney and Neil Mullen stood out. And with the visitors committed to getting back in the game it was obvious that gaps would appear for Newry to close out the game, in the closing moments both McMullan and Thomas McCann passing on chances to seal the win but fortunately for the home side it mattered not as time ran out for a Valley comeback, referee McArdle calling time with Newry leading 2-1.

Relieved to secure the 3 points which keeps his side in with a chance of league glory Newry manager Gary Redpath was also keen to keep his players mind on the final game on Saturday week “That result keeps us in the hunt for the title but there’s nothing won yet. I have left the lads in no doubt that they need to remain focused and to bring the form they have been showing into our last game against fellow title challengers Coagh. Tonight’s win was based on standing up to the physical challenge of a very good Valley team and the foundation for this was led by our centre back pairing of Gerard Mooney and Neil Mullen and with Mully holding the ball up superbly we always had an outlet to get our passing game going. Going a goal behind I thought we fully deserved the win and it could have been more if we had been more clinical. However, I would have taken a single goal win before the game and now we will look forward to the Coagh match.”

Newry Reserves final game of the season is scheduled for Saturday 22^nd April at home to Coagh kick off 2:15pm.

Newry Team: Marty Marron, Jordan Coyle, Jordan King, Gerard Mooney, Neil Mullen, Chris McMahon, Josh Durnin, Ryan Quinn, Sean McMullan, Paulis Smaryginas, Thomas McCann. Subs: Marcus McKeown, Cian Feehan, Shealan Fegan, Gavin Conn, Brian Hobden.

A three goal winning margin would suggest a comfortable victory for Newry City Reserves against Banbridge Town Reserves at The Showground’s on Wednesday night. However the score line does not reflect that this was a thoroughly competitive match which Banbridge were in right up until the last 10 minutes when Sean McMullan picked the ball up in the middle of the park and leaving his marker in his wake made ground before sliding a pass into the path of Neil Barr who smashed his first time shot into the roof of the net to make the game safe for the home side at 3-0.

The foundations for the victory however had been laid in the first 20 minutes of the first half Newry taking the lead after 12 minutes when Graeme Edgar returned a Banbridge kick out perfectly through a gap in the visiting defence which Keith Johnston ran onto before drilling his shot into the far bottom corner of the net to put the home side a goal up. The advantage was doubled on 20 minutes when Barr chased a seemingly lost cause to the end line, shouldered the covering defender off the ball and from a very acute angle curled the ball around the keeper at his near post, the ball nestling inside the far post to put Newry 2-0.

It was at this stage that Banbridge Town, marshalled at the back by Stephen Greene, became a little more combative getting a foothold in the game. However, against a Newry defence in which Stefan Martin and Micheál Hastewell were both rock steady Banbridge were limited to strikes from outside the area which brought a string of fine saves from the Newry keeper Colm McEvoy.

Newry City AFC: McEvoy, Mooney, Martin, Hastewell, Cargin, Smaryginas, Durnin, McMullan, Edgar, Barr, Johnston, Subs: Crilly, Walker, McCaul.

With the first team not in action on Saturday and with several players stripping out for the Under 19’s Newry City Reserve team manager Gary Redpath fielded a team mixed with youth and senior players for the away tie against Crewe. And in an entertaining game both groups stepped up to the mark with young Paul Hadden giving an assured performance in nets while outfield Ben Hughes and Jervis Og McCaul played their part in an emphatic victory and for the senior player players while both Neil Barr and Keith Johnston each grabbed a pair of goals the foundation for the win lay with the work rate of Newry’s Man of the Match Graeme Edgar and the ball skills and vision of Sean McMullan who tortured the home defence throughout.

It only took Newry three minutes to register their first goal, Josh Durnin slipping a through ball to Barr who smashed his first time shot across the Crewe keeper and into the opposite top corner for a stunning opener. On 12 minutes Newry doubled their advantage when McMullan and Paulis Smaryginas combined to find Hughes in space on the right wing, the youngster quick to spot Johnston’s run behind the defence on the opposite wing, his pass giving Johnston the time and space to pick out a spot in the far top corner of O’Neill’s net into which he curled the perfect shot to put the visitors 2-0 up. It was all Newry at this stage with McMullan pulling all the strings and on 25 minutes the big man laid the perfect pass through the Crewe defence for the speedster Johnston to run onto, the winger feigning to go forward, losing his marker by cutting back across goal and drilling a low shot into the near bottom corner to put Newry firmly in command.

On 35 minutes the home side almost pulled a goal back when Walsh raced down the Newry right wing, cut inside his marker and curled a dipping shot which skimmed off the top of the Newry crossbar.

This resurgence was only temporary with the goal of the game coming from the evergreen McMullan on 40 minutes. Surrounded by four Crewe players on the edge of the home penalty area it looked as if the big man was trapped. That was not allowing for his fleet of foot as he twisted and turned bamboozling the Crewe defence before playing a one two with Smaryginas and planting the ball into the same top corner as Barr had earlier hit with a first time shot for a goal which would have graced any game.

To their credit the home side kept playing football and pulled a goal back before half time when Hutchinson made ground down the right wing before pulling the ball back into the box from where McCullough drilled in a low shot which gave Hadden little chance leaving the half time score 4-1 in Newry’s favour.

After that first half there was no way that the second was going to be as entertaining and although Newry did register goal number five after an excellent run forward from Niall Crilly who skipped past two tackles before taking the ball to the by line and pulling a cross back to the six yard box from where Barr curled a low shot into the bottom corner for his second and Newrys fifth it was the Newry defence and in particular Hadden who came to the fore, the young keeper on several occasions displaying safe hands and capping it off on 70 minutes with a brave diving save at the feet of the inrushing Hutchinson to once more snuff out any Crewe threat and seal a 5-1 win for Newry.