Category: Senior

Today’s game (A) Broomhedge POSTPONED!

Today’s game away to Broomhedge has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Incredibly this is the fourth time this season that a scheduled game for Newry at Broomhedge has been postponed. Though don’t forget, on Tuesday 8th April, Newry travel to play Valley Rangers in a crucial top of the table clash (kick off 6.30pm). The Travel Club is running a bus to the game against Valley, which will leave the Stonebridge at 5.15 pm.

Also, Newry City AFC Reserves will be playing at The Showgrounds tomorrow v Annagh 2.15 K.O!

Newry City AFC 5-1 Seagoe!

Newry City AFC returned to winning ways at the Showgrounds on Tuesday night in their Mid Ulster league game against Seagoe. Delighted to have a quick chance to get Saturdays draw out of their system the Newry boys rattled home five goals, two each for the striking duo of Patton and Barr and one from Jimmy Walker, to give them some breathing space at the top of the table. Although manager Darren Mullen would have been happy with the points he was not fully convinced by the performance “It was a game we played very well in parts but like any young team there are always things to work on. We had plenty of possession but just need to be more patient in the final third”.

The Newry managers comments were perhaps directed at the first half hour of the match when his team had lots of possession up to the final third of the pitch but in that red zone could not manage to find the killer pass to open up the Seagoe goal. That’s not to say that the home side didn’t have any early chances the first coming after only five minutes when captain Chris McMahon rose highest to get his head to a corner kick on the penalty spot, his effort marginally over the cross bar. Indeed this was the first of a flurry of corners for Newry all of which brought half chances. 1-DSC_1444 (1)1-DSC_1444 (1)1-DSC_1444 (1)

With 10 minutes gone Seagoe were fortunate to see a Walker corner deflect off a defender and bounce the wrong side of the post from a home perspective for another corner, this time Walker laying the ball back to Sean Hand who shot across the goal and wide of the far post. Walker was instigating all the Newry attacking play. On 20 minutes he took the ball out from his own defence to inside the Seagoe half before laying the ball off to David Anderson, Anderson running across the face of the box before his shot was charged down for a corner.

On 25 minutes the roles were reversed Anderson controlling a long Peter Murphy kick out before setting up Walker who also pulled his shot wide of the far post. Seagoe’s answer to Newrys neat passing and movement was a series of niggling foul’s which strangely did not result in a yellow card or two but did bring the goal that the Newry supporters had been waiting on. Mark Patton has worked tirelessly up front for Newry creating many chances and goals for his team mates but has been completely out of luck in the past few games personally. That record was put straight on the half hour mark when Newry were awarded a free kick in a central position inside the Seagoe half. From this unpromising position Walker floated a straight free kick into the penalty area and Patton did the rest, rising to loop his header over Jamie Greenaway in the Seagoe goal to put Newry 1-0 up. And once Patton’s drought had ended you would have always fancied him for another and it duly came on 42 minutes. McMahon won possession back for Newry deep in his own half and released Niall Crilly to push forward. Crilly took the ball to outside the Seagoe penalty area before rolling it to Barr, Barr back heeling the ball into the path of Crilly who had continued his run. When Greenaway could only parry Crillys shot Patton was the first to react planting the loose ball to the net to make the half time score 2-0 to Newry.

The second half was only a minute old when Newry had a chance to go further ahead. Jimmy Walker picked the ball up in the Newry half and ran unchallenged half the length of the pitch before slipping a pass to Patton inside the box. Patton feigned to shoot but instead played the ball back to Walker who had a better sight of goal but pulled his shot harmlessly wide.

While Walker does the creative work McMahon does the hard graft to win possession as he did again on 48 minutes again deep in the Newry area. This time he gave the ball to Walker who made ground before sliding a through ball to Barr now with only Greenaway to beat. However the Seagoe keeper was quickly off his line blocking Barrs effort with his legs.

Seagoe took advantage of these Newry misses when they pulled a goal back almost on the hour mark when William Kerr rose highest to head a corner ball past Peter Murphy to half the Newry advantage.

The home side were not about to drop more points and showed this intent from the restart when Sean Hand skipped down the left wing, cut inside and laid a perfect pass into Patton who was unfortunate to see his shot deflected for a corner.

This was only a temporary reprieve for Seagoe as Newry sealed the points with a three goal burst between the 74th and 82nd minute. On 72 minutes Newry introduced fresh legs in the shape of Mark Lowry, his impact almost immediate when he picked up a long ball from Paul McElroy in space on the right wing. Lowry used the space to look up and pick out Walker inside the box. Walker always appears to have time on the ball, this time turning onto his left foot and curling his shot from the edge of the penalty area into the far corner of the Seagoe net to restore Newrys two goal advantage. Number four came two minutes later again generated by McMahon winning the ball inside his own half. This time he did the creative work himself finding Patton at the back post. Composed, Patton drew two defenders towards him before chipping a pass over their heads to his partner Barr who had the easy task of finishing to put Newry 4-1 up. And Newrys top scorer made it 5-1 on 82 minutes after Walker danced around three Segoe defenders on the edge of the box before sliding a through ball to Lowry who unselfishly squared to Barr again in the right place at the right time to tap in his 25th goal of the season.

Speaking after the game Newry manager Darren Mullen had a word for Seagoe “For a team lying second from bottom they were very well organised and we had to work very hard to break them down. I was also pleased that parts of this game showed that we can be aggressive in our play when the opposition are physical with Paul McElroy and Chris McMahon leading the way”. Manager Darren Mullen, MOTM Mark Patton1-DSC_1783 (1)1-DSC_1444 (1)1-DSC_1783 (1)

With Man of the Match Mark Patton back amongst the goals and leading scorer Barr notching another brace Newry now look forward to the league run in starting with Tuesdays Match away to Valley Rangers.

 

 

Seagoe Team: Greenaway, Megaw, Brown, R Simmons, Willis, A Simmons, Kerr, Corkin, Hanna, Argue, McClelland. Subs: Currie, G Simmons, Wilson.

Newry Team: Murphy, Crilly, McVicker, Annett, McElroy, McMahon, Walker, Anderson, Patton, Barr, Hand. Subs: Lowry (Anderson), Martin, McLarty (Crilly), Campbell (Walker).

Photographs Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan.

The Magical Mystery Tour

Newry City AFC supporter ‘Belfast City’ recently gave newrycityafc.co.uk his outlook on how the season is progressing thus far.

The Magical Mystery Tour

by ‘Belfast City’

February 09 –  CIS Cup Final, April 12 – Irish Cup Semi Final, March 14 – Mid Ulster Intermediate B, Brownstown Park….. lonely, anxious, bereft? No chance when you support a club that refused to die and which at present is playing mainly, entertaining, winning football, all combined with the opportunity to visit new and exotic venues such as Laurelvale.

The village of Laurelvale was founded in the mid 19th Century and although the linen mill has been demolished, the red brick houses built for the workers remain as a reminder of our economic and social history. Heading for the ground on that December afternoon I could hear the evocative sound of Dvorak’s Symphony No 9 (that’s the Hovis Bread Ad music for the uninitiated). The omens felt good. Don’t ask why, they just did.

The compact pitch was marked out on what appeared to be common grazing ground and was not conducive to our penchant for silky football. What we were witnessing was more of the polyester variety. After our obligatory, once a game, miss of this or any other season, we finally took the lead midway through the second half. However, the hosts refused to buckle and after a period of pressure equalized with a 35 yard effort which appeared to take a deflection off a burial mound en route into the bottom corner.

The tension was now palpable and a request was made from a local supporter that we refrain from expressing ourselves with such colourful language. While still in the process of composing an alternative lexicon for the Travel Bus crew, the same gent informed his companions that he expected more from us as a team, considering the facilities and resources at our disposal. Realizing these were nothing more than the musings of many Manchester Utd fans regarding their team this season, I promptly pilfered a prawn sandwich from his faux leather man bag and enlightened him of his dubious parentage. OK, the last bit isn’t true.

With time running out changes were made and we went close on several occasions before bundling one in at the back post. Cue orgasmic, or at least, over the top celebrations, as we politely thumbed our noses at the village people. It doesn’t matter who the opposition are or where the venue is, nothing beats a last minute winner. Christmas had been saved.

I’ve refrained from naming any players in deference to our management team who adhere to the Brendan Rodgers school of thought in that it’s all about the collective, the group. If you don’t want to buy in, then, as has been the case for one high profile combatant, you can pack up your old kit bag and, not to put too fine a point on it, sling your hook. The rest of us are on board and looking forward to the trip to Broomhedge, motivated and focused.

Travel club running buses to next 2 games

Newry City Travel Club will be running buses to our next two away games.

The bus to Broomhedge this Saturday 5th April leaves Stonebridge at 1 pm.

Next Tuesday 8th April, the travel club is running a bus to the game against Valley Rangers, which will leave Stonebridge at 5.15 pm.

Let’s get down and cheer the lads on in what is a massive week for the club! 

Newry forced to settle for a point!

Although the other result at the top of the league on the day went in their favour Newry City will feel like Saturdays draw away to Lurgan Town was a chance missed to cement their place at the top of Mid Ulster B. Having beaten Lurgan by five goals earlier in the season Newry would have approached this game in a confident manner but were unable to reach the level of fluent football that they have displayed all season. And even with that this was still a game Newry should have won having twice taken the lead and missing some great chances.

Unusually Newry didn’t create a goal chance until the 10th minute when Jimmy Walker played a short free kick on the left wing to Sean Hand. Hand took the ball to the end line and whipped in a cross which Mark Patton rose highest to win, his glancing header going wide of the back post. And Patton was again close on 15 minutes when he controlled a pass from Niall Crilly on the corner of the Lurgan box turning quickly and shooting, his effort going narrowly over the cross bar with the Lurgan keeper beaten. The home side a chance of their own minutes later when Adam Stewart broke down Newry’s right and whipped a dangerous cross along the six yard box which fortunately evaded everybody going out for a throw on the opposite side.

Newry took the lead on the 20th minute when David Anderson and Crilly combined to find Neil Barr on the corner of the Lurgan box, Barr immediately pivoting and firing a low drive to the far corner of the Lurgan net. The lead did not last long however as the home side equalized on 25 minutes when the Newry defence failed to deal with a corner, a looping header from the penalty spot beating Peter Murphy in the Newry goal.

Barr threatened again on the half hour mark. Chris McMahon picked up the ball in the middle of the field before finding David Anderson wide on the right. Anderson fired in a high cross which Barr rose to meet, his powerful header flying past the upright with Chris Davidson in the home goal beaten. Davidson however was not beaten on 37 minutes when he launched himself to his right to stop a Jimmy Walker shot from outside the box which looked destined for the top corner of the Lurgan net only for Davidson’s outstretched hand which tipped it wide.

Newry regained the lead shortly before half time. Barr turned provider taking possession just inside the Lurgan half and playing a straight ball along the ground to inside the box to which Patton won the race with Davidson who took the Newry man down for a penalty. And it was Barr who reaped the reward for his pass as he smashed the penalty into the Lurgan net to put Newry 2-1 in front. However there was still time before the half ended for the lead to be again given away. Having snuffed out a Lurgan attack Newry chose to pass the ball out of defence, the pass intercepted by a home player forcing an attacking throw in close to the Newry goal line. And when the long throw was launched into the box Newry could not get that elusive connection to clear, the ball falling to a Lurgan player who lashed the ball to the net despite Murphy’s best efforts to save.

Newry started the second half on the front foot and almost immediately regained the lead when a free flowing move between Crilly and Hand ended with Patton and McMahon playing a one two releasing Patton inside the box with only Davidson to beat, the big Lurgan keeper somehow blocking the shot with his legs. Newry continued to probe, Anderson and McMahon combining to play the ball into the feet of Patton, the Newry centre forward holding the ball up and rolling it back to Barr who alas smashed his shot over the cross bar. This was as near as Newry came to scoring for the rest of the game as Lurgan defended deep forcing Newry to pass across the face of and shoot from outside the home penalty area. And for all their possession Newry have Conor McCaul to thank for preserving the point when as last man he slid into halt a Lurgan attack with the Newry goal in danger.

Newry will be glad to have the opportunity to immediately put this game behind them as their next game comes up quickly at home to Seagoe on Tuesday night with a 8pm kick off. This will be followed by an away fixture on Saturday 5th April at Broomhedge.  Newry City travel club bus will leave the Stonebridge on Saturday @ 1pm.

Newry City AFC: Murphy, Crilly, McCaul, McElroy, McVicker, Walker, McMahon, Anderson, Patton, Barr, Hand. Subs: Lowry, Lundy, Edgar, Annett, Martin.