What on paper looked like a tricky away draw against Amateur League side Ardstraw turned out to be a routine victory for Newry City in the 1st round of this seasons Irish Cup. While post match Newry manager Darren Mullen was full of praise for his midfield trio Newry were best all over the pitch with goal keeper Peter Murphy not called into action until the minute of the game when it appeared he was fouled as he came to collect a high cross, the referee refusing to accept the Newry keepers plea as he allowed the resulting goal to stand. However that was a mere consolation as the tie had long since been settled by a brace of goals from Sean McMullan and Jimmy Walker and a single strike from Keith Johnson securing a 5-1 win for Newry.

Although Newry dominated the ball clear chances in the first half hour were few and far between. Those that did come were created by the experienced Stephen McCabe who was giving the Ardstraw right back a torrid time. When McCabe pulled up with a strain on 25 minutes Ardstraw would have been relieved to see him go off. However Newry have added quality to the squad and it was McCabe’s replacement Timmy Grant who had an immediate impact creating the opening goal. A like for like replacement, Grant skinned the home defender for pace before cutting inside and crossing to Johnson inside the box. With his back to goal Johnson laid the ball to the edge of the area where it was met first time by Walker who smashed a shot past Kerr in the home goal before the keeper had a chance to move.

While Newry were completely dominant they did have a shaky few minutes just before half time when they were almost caught by long balls out of the Ardstraw defence.  First to the rescue was Chris McMahon, deployed unusually at right back, the Newry captain using his pace to get back to get a vital block on McKelvey as he bore down on Murphy’s goal. And Newry were even more fortunate a minute later, another long clearance causing hesitancy in the Newry defence, the ball arriving at the feet of the Ardstraw centre forward Matthews who screwed his shot on an open goal wide of the post.

That was as good as it got for the home side as Newry doubled their advantage right on half time. Ably backed up by his midfield colleagues Thomas McCann and Decky Carville who both had excellent games, Walker was at his mercurial best which obviously hadn’t gone unnoticed by the Ardstraw defence who chopped the Newry ball player down outside the home box. Dusting himself down to take the free kick Walker was on the same wave length as McMullan and with most expecting a shot Walker played a straight ball into the penalty area perfectly into the path of Newry’s top scorer McMullan who stretched to hook his shot into the bottom corner of the Ardstraw net to put Newry a second goal clear at half time.

The pattern of play didn’t change much in the second period but what did change was Newrys finishing, three examples of clinical goal scoring before the hour mark settling the tie.

Goals three and four were both started by the Newry full backs. First McMahon rose higher than the Ardstraw attacker to power a header to the halfway line. There it was picked up by McMullan who instinctively knocked the ball into space for Johnson to run onto. The winger made ground until he was level with the box before returning the ball to McMullan who in turn slipped a short pass to Walker. From here it was all about the skill of Walker as he dinked a shot from the edge of the box with the outside of his right boot, the ball clipping the underside of the crossbar as it hit the top corner of the Ardstraw net.

Next it was Conor Sloan’s turn to set up a goal. Picking the ball up at left back Sloan drilled a low pass forward which Grant allowed to go between his legs and run perfectly into the path of Carville. In full flow Carville switched on the turbo to power past the Ardstraw defence taking the ball to the end line before laying a perfect ball along the goal mouth for Johnson to slide in at the back post to hit home goal number four.

And strangely for Newry it was it was another long ball this time from goal keeper Murphy which led to their final goal. And strangely it was the winger Grant who challenged for Murphy’s kick out in the centre forward position, winning the aerial contest and nodding the ball down to the inrushing McMullan. Taking the ball in his stride McMullan glided past the home defence before drawing the home keeper and slipping the ball past Kerr and into the far corner of the net for goal number five which ended the Newry scoring on the hour mark.

With the game now sealed Newry took their foot off the attacking pedal but rarely allowed Ardstraw possession apart from that final minute goal which after the game Newry manager Mullen said annoyed his players so much  “It shows the mentality of the squad this season that they were most annoyed at the final whistle to have conceded that goal. This was a game that had the potential to be a lot more difficult but our work rate from the first minute helped make sure we ran out easy winners. All 14 players played their part but I thought our midfield was excellent both with and without the ball. The new signings have lifted the whole squad with Sean McMullan now thriving on greater quality service. Hopefully we can improve on the last two years in the Irish Cup and get to the fifth round but at this stage we can only look as far as round two. It’s frustrating now not having a competitive game for two weeks but we will use that period to keep our fitness levels up along with a friendly in Oriel Park against a Dundalk eleven on Thursday”

NCAFC Man of the Match: Jimmy Walker

Newry City: Murphy, McMahon, Sloan, Mullen, Curran, Carville, McCann, Walker, McCabe, McMullan, Johnson. Subs: Crilly, Smaryginas, Grant, Edgar, Mooney.

Ardstraw: Kerr, Boyd, Fair, Gourley, Warnock, Boyle, Boyd, Burke, Matthews, McKelvey, Mitchell. Subs: Fusco, Long, Simpson.

AFC Craigavon 1 Newry City AFC 9

Newry City maintained their good start to the season with a crushing victory over AFC Craigavon in their first away league game. This was a real statement of intent from a Newry side who showed a ruthlessness that was perhaps lacking at times last season.

Just as in the opening win over Valley Rangers, Newry were quick out of the blocks and on the front foot from the outset. This time it took until the third minute for City to open their account and once again Sean McMullan was the man on target. The home side may have felt they had survived an opening Newry onslaught as first Stephen McCabe hit the post before Declan Carville’s follow up effort was saved by the home keeper, but Newry worked the ball back to McMullan who fired home from close range.

Newry had initially failed to build on their early goal against Valley, but there was to be no such respite for their opponents on this occasion as they quickly doubled the lead. Full back Ben Wilson chipped an inviting ball in behind the home rear-guard and McMullan, with time perhaps to bring it down, chose instead to volley across the keeper and in to the corner of the net.

Newry were rampant and almost had another goal within minutes when McMullan was played in but the home keeper made a fine save to deny the striker a quick hat-trick. Newry piled on the pressure, Neil Mullen heading just over from a corner and yet another ball in to the box was headed on to his own post by a Craigavon defender.

With Thomas McCann and Declan Carville running through the Craigavon lines at will, it was surely only a matter of time before a third arrived, but Newry’s assault was temporarily stalled as their hosts hit back with a fine goal of their own after a nice passing movement.

However, any thoughts Craigavon had of making a contest of it were quickly dissipated as Newry responded with a third goal. Stephen McCabe was having real joy down the left wing and, not for the first time, he skipped past his man and delivered an inch perfect cross to Keith Johnston who slotted home to restore the two goal advantage.

That goal knocked the stuffing out of Craigavon and after squandering a series of further chances, Newry hit a fourth before the break when the impressive McCann cut in to the box and lashed home from an angle.

Doubtless Darren Mullen would have impressed upon his troops the need to make sure that the second moiety was as comfortable as possible and his team duly responded with a blitzkrieg that bore three goals in the opening five minutes of the half.

First up McCann slid the ball through for McMullan who rounded the keeper and rolled the ball home for a deserved hat-trick. The big striker was on fire and minutes later he was hauled down in the box for a penalty which Carville stroked to the corner of the net to make it six. And with Craigavon reeling, Newry had another almost immediately, as Chris McMahon played a delightful one two with McMullan and fired home a well-deserved goal.

With the game long since over as a contest, Newry struggled to maintain their tempo as they were content to keep possession for long periods from that point on. Manager Mullen used his bench, although the home side wouldn’t have been impressed to see that the fresh legs coming on belonged to players of the quality of Timmy Grant, Jimmy Walker and Josh Durnin. With intense competition for places in the side, all three were prominent as Newry continued to create openings at regular intervals, Grant in particular unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.

Walker, however, wasn’t finished and he had the final say with two late goals. His first, and Newry’s eighth, came when he combined well with that man McMullan before rifling in to the roof of the net. And the midfielder completed the rout by finishing off a neat move that saw McMullan cleverly step over Grant’s cross to allow Walker to finish proceedings in style.

Newry City AFC now travel away to Ardstraw in the Irish Cup on Saturday 22^nd August. The supporters bus will be departing from the Stonebridge at 10:45am Sharp. All are welcome.

Newry City AFC: Peter Murphy, Ben Wilson, Conor Sloan, Neil Mullen, Ian Curran, Chris McMahon, Thomas McCann (Jimmy Walker), Declan Carville (Timmy Grant), Sean McMullan, Keith Johnston, Stephen McCabe (Josh Durnin). Subs not used: Stephen Wylie, Paulius Smaryginas

 

 

Newry City AFC 2 Valley Rangers 1

Newry opened the 2015-6 Intermediate A season with a home game against newly promoted Valley Rangers with a decent sized crowd turning up at the Showgrounds for what proved to be an entertaining game.

With Valley on a high after their great promotion season out of Intermediate B, Newry would have looked to start strongly and try to dent their visitors’ confidence. And things couldn’t have gone better for City on this front as they raced out of the blocks and took the lead with barely a minute on the clock. Keith Johnston crossed from the left to Sean McMullan in the area and the big striker turned and shot past Richard Baillie, the Rangers keeper getting a hand to the ball but unable to keep it out.

Any thoughts that Newry were set for a comfortable evening were, however, soon dispelled as the visitors steadied themselves and quickly gained a foothold in the game. Valley were playing with a packed midfield to close off the space for the home side but they showed that they posed a real goal threat themselves, primarily through the conduit of former Newry striker Andy Graham up front.

On six minutes, Graham got on the end of a ball down the channel and outpaced Conor McCaul, before cutting inside and bearing down on the Newry goal. Peter Murphy was alert to the danger and got down well to block Graham’s shot at the near post. Minutes later, Graham turned provider with a neat ball to Matthew Johnston, but Murphy again came to Newry’s rescue with another save.

The threat was obvious and the equaliser duly arrived on fifteen minutes. Andy McMath’s cross didn’t appear that dangerous at first, but Ryan Stevenson nipped in to apply a light touch and divert the ball to the corner of the Newry net. 

The game settled down after that with little in the way of chances at either end before both sides had decent efforts from set piece plays around the half hour mark. First up, Aaron Parke got on the end of a free kick to deliver a bullet header that Murphy did well to tip over before, at the other end, a corner for Newry was met by the head of Ian Curran but his goal bound effort was cleared off the line by a Valley defender.

Newry picked up the pace as the half drew to a close and created a couple of half chances, the best of which saw Keith Johnston’s effort deflected wide. Nonetheless, the home side could have no complaints with the half time score.

The second moiety saw a much improved display from Newry and they were on the front foot from the outset. On 51 minutes, Conor Sloan’s cross was chested down by Sean McMullan, but the striker’s rasping effort went just over the bar. Newry were on top and Johnston twice went close to a goal. The best of his efforts came after a good run and cross from Stephen McCabe, Johnston’s shot narrowly missing the target.

Newry replaced Timmy Grant with Declan Carville just past the hour mark and he pushed up to support McMullan and Johnston in a dangerous looking forward line. The newly arrived sub almost had an instant impact. This time Johnston was the provider with a delicious cross that got a light touch from McMullan and Carville, looking sure to score at the back post, was somehow off target from close range. The deflection probably did him no favours, but things would fall a whole lot kinder for him later in the evening.

Before that, Newry might have been forgiven for thinking that it wasn’t going to be their night as the clock ticked down and the elusive second goal had not arrived. Indeed Valley showed that they still posed a threat on 75 minutes when they went close from a corner, only for Chris McMahon to clear off the line. That would be as good as it got for the visitors as Newry finally made the breakthrough, two minutes later. Carville was the instigator as he ran at the visiting defence, and this time a slight deflection worked in his favour as he got between two defenders inside the box. The striker looked up and spotted Sean McMullan free inside him. Carville pulled the ball back to McMullan, and no better man to slot to the corner of the net and spark relieved celebrations amongst the home support.

 

McMullan had his second wind now and he was taking on the Valley defence with some outrageous skill that really deserved a hat trick. It wasn’t to be, however, and McCabe went closest to an insurance strike, only to be denied by a fine save from Baillie at the near post. There was an extended period of injury time to endure for the home support, but little in the way of real scares as they saw out the game and secured an important three points to kick off their league campaign.

Link to highlights:

MOTM: Sean McMullan
Newry City AFC: Peter Murphy, Ben Wilson, Conor Sloan, Conor McCaul, Ian Curran, Chris McMahon, Thomas McCann (Jimmy Walker), Timmy Grant (Declan Carville), Sean McMullan, Keith Johnston, Stephen McCabe. Subs not used: Josh Durnin, Stephen Wylie, Paulius Smaryginas

Valley Rangers: Richard Bailie, Raymond Hanna, Steven Patterson (Johnny Newell), Stuart Patterson, Aaron Parke, Kenny Graham, Ryan Stevenson (Andy McCoy), Jonny Cranston, Andy Graham, Andy McMath, Matthew Johnston (Jason McCulla). Sub not used: Curtis Parke.

Photographs Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan

As the new season beckons we approach it with a great sense of optimism. Preseason has been the toughest out of the past three years with maximum effort given by the whole squad. The past six weeks have been geared towards our first game next Tuesday night and we will be more than ready for it. We have brought in eight new players and they have settled into what was already a decent squad. That said last season wasn’t good enough and we need to make sure everyone ups their game to give us the best possible chance of promotion.

This is a tough league but with the new additions I feel we are now in a position to seriously threaten for the league title. Other teams will also have strengthened but all we can do is concentrate on ourselves to ensure we are prepared for each and every game. Our away form was far from acceptable last season and although we are not using it as an excuse we now know what to expect on our travels. We will be prepared to battle as well as play our way out of this league.

As well as new additions some players have left the club and we wish Neil Barr, Chris Fay, David O’Connor and Stefan Martin all the best with their new clubs. As per any season we will be relying on our fans to give us their full support and I’ve no doubt they will do so in their numbers. The support they provide gives an added incentive to succeed and I thank them for that in advance.

Nothing is ever guaranteed in football but I can assure you on behalf of the coaching staff that every effort will be given to take the club back to where it deserves to be.

Yours in Sport,
Darren

 

Upcoming Fixtures:

Tuesday 11th August, H v Valley Rangers, Int A, k.o. 7.45pm
Saturday 15th August, A  v AFC Craigavon, Int A, k.o. 2.30pm
Saturday 22nd August, A v Ardstraw FC, Irish Cup, k.o. 1.30pm