Newry played their final home game of the season on Saturday when they hosted Camlough Rovers at a sunny and well attended Showgrounds. In what was a well contested affair, it was Sean McMullan who sent the Newry support home happy by heading the only goal of the game five minutes from time.

The game took a while to warm up as the opening half settled in to a pattern where Newry enjoyed plenty of possession but struggled to create any clear cut chances. The City midfield were probing for openings and looking to release Mark Lowry and Keith Johnston to link up with McMullan, but they were kept at arm’s length by a well organised Camlough defence. Newry struggled to find the crucial final ball, over-elaborating at times, and for all the huffing and puffing, blocked shots and corners won, Barry McKeown in the visiting goal was generally untroubled. That would change in the second half.

Indeed for all Newry’s possession, it was Camlough who created the best opening of the half, just before the break. Joe McDermott whipped in a dangerous cross from the right hand side of the box which sub John Grant headed just over the Newry bar when well placed.

For all that the first half was mildly diverting, the second moiety was where we’d find the real action. On 50 minutes, a long ball from Chris McMahon caused hesitation in the Camlough rearguard and Sean McMullan nipped in between defenders and goalkeeper but lifted his shot just over the crossbar.

Camlough responded with their best effort of the game, just before the hour mark, when they broke quickly and worked the ball to Declan Monaghan inside the area. The big striker got his shot away but Peter Murphy did well to divert the effort around the post.

Newry were soon back on the attack and on 65 minutes McMahon released Walker who shot low but was denied by a good save from McKeown. From the resulting corner McKeown failed to clear under pressure and the ball fell to Ian Curran who couldn’t keep his shot down, the ball going over the bar.

Newry had upped the ante and were now enjoying a real purple patch. They went close again within minutes when McMahon found Lowry who cut inside and released Keith Johnston who looked set to score only to be denied by a stupendous save from McKeown.

Next up, Paulius Smaryginas sent a raking ball to the feet of Jimmy Walker on the left and his cross was met by McMullan whose bullet header cannoned off the bar with McKeown, for once, well beaten.

Newry could have been forgiven for thinking it was going to be one of those days, and it almost got worse for the home side on 81 minutes when Camlough, who had looked to be on the ropes, showed they still had a part to play with Monaghan drawing another fine save from Murphy after a good break.

The game was getting stretched as it entered the closing minutes and it was Newry who finally fashioned the goal that their play deserved in the 85th minute. It was Mark Lowry who set Walker in on the edge of the box and the midfielder showed good skill to get his shot away only to be denied by another great save from McKeown. Lowry, however, did well to recycle the ball and sent in a cross to the back post where McMullan bravely headed home from close range. The big target man was scoring for the fourth consecutive game and it was due reward for another hard working display in leading the line.

Newry had a chance to secure some breathing space on 88 minutes with Johnston’s deft effort which drew another fine save from McKeown, but one goal was enough as City played out the remaining minutes in relative comfort.

With only a trip to Tandragee to come, on May 5th, Newry brought down the curtain on another season at the Showgrounds where manager Darren Mullen will have been pleased to secure 27 points from a possible 33. He knows that the key for next season is for Newry to transfer this excellent form to their travels where they have struggled at times this season. The recent morale boosting wins over Tandragee and this game have hinted at better and Mullen will know exactly what is required if Newry are to take the next step.

Speaking after the game, manager Darren Mullen stated that, “we knew going into this game that we would have to match Camlough for effort and determination. You have to earn the right to play football and whilst we certainly didn’t do that in the first game out in Camlough we did on Saturday. The whole team were superb and we really should have scored a few more but for some great saves by their keeper. We were defensively solid restricting Camlough to very little and our pace in attack was always a threat. I questioned the players character after that first game and they have responded in the right manner. Hopefully we can finish the season positively in our last game away to Tandragee.”

Newry City AFC would like to thank match day sponsor Newmay Electrical Services and Paul Mulholland for his continued support and attendance at the match.

Man of the Match: Rian Hand

Newry City AFC: Murphy, S Hand, Curran, R Hand, McCaul, Smaryginas (Durnin), Walker, McMahon, McMullan, Lowry, Johnston. Subs not used: Fay, Courtney, O’Connor, Edgar.

Camlough Rovers: McKeown, S King, J King, Lennon, K Moan (Kane), G Moan, Murphy (Grant), McDermott, Massey, Morgan, Monaghan. Subs not used: Hughes, McKeown, Quinn.

This Saturday, NCAFC welcome Camlough Rovers to The Showgrounds for Newry’s final home league fixture of the 14/15 season. KO 2.15pm. After the match there will be a quiz in the Social Club run by NCAFC Travel Club £3 per head which will start at approximately 4.40, perfectly timed to finish for the Chelsea v Man Utd match to be shown live in the club at 5.30. And if that isn’t enough to top it all off deferred coverage of NCAFC v Camlough game will be shown in the Social Club at 7.15pm by our broadcaster partners Destination Newry!! What else would you rather do on a Saturday? Come along and show your support to local football! #NCAFC #ItsYourCityYourClub

If a football side can have a bogey team then this season Fivemiletown have been Newry City’s. After Saturdays defeat a record of three loses from as many games suggests that the Newry boys have little to complain about but those who have followed Newry this season would agree that the sentiments expressed by Newry manager Darren Mullen after Saturdays defeat encapsulate not only the Fivemiletown trilogy but Newrys entire season “This game sums up our season in terms of missed chances and defensive mistakes. Having played them twice already we knew how they would set up and we created enough chances to win any game but between not taking those and a few defensive mistakes we have again paid the price.”

From the early stages Saturdays game had the feeling of an end of season match with fully 15 minutes elapsed before the first shot at goal was registered, Jimmy Walker slipping a through ball to Sean McMullan who pulled his shot from the corner of the penalty box wide of the far post. Playing against a fairly strong breeze Newry were content to retain possession passing and probing and made their next scoring chance after 25 minutes, Chris McMahons incisive pass latched onto Mark Lowry who got to the ball just before the visiting defender to poke it past him and now with sight of goal chose to shoot early, his effort from the edge of the box straight into the mid drift of the Fivemiletown keeper Cameron Crawford. And the final chance of a fairly tame first half came on 35 minutes, this time Walker ran behind the Fivemiletown defence to pick up a David O’Connor pass, Walker also choosing to shoot early, his effort beating Crawford but also the far post to fly wide leaving the first half scoreless.

With the elements behind them Newry were on the front foot from the beginning of the second half and almost went into an immediate lead Lowry benefitting from a McMullan flick to break free taking the ball to the edge of the area before returning the favour to his strike partner now inside the box. With everyone expecting a McMullan shot the big man spotted Walker arriving on the edge of the small box, Walker’s shot low to Crawford’s left forcing a fine save from the keeper who used his leg to deflect the ball round the post for a corner.

Up to this Connor Ruddy, who was making his return to the Newry nets, hadn’t had much to do but on 55 minutes needed to make a smart save to keep the scores level, diving forward to claim a low crossed ball with Jason Gillispie about to pounce.

Newry were straight back onto the attack and made a series of chances from crossed balls, first for McMullan at the near post from a Lowry cross and the for Conor McCaul at the back post from a Walker corner, neither effort however troubling Crawford.

And as has happened so often Newry were punished for not taking any of these chances when just after the hour mark Fivemiletown’s Simon Robb hit a cross come shot across the Newry goal, the ball getting held up in the breeze which made its flight impossible for Ruddy to judge, the ball helped over the line at the back post by Matty Gallagher to put the visitors a goal up.

Having conceded against the run of play Newry reacted well and were very unfortunate not to level the scores almost straight away. Again McMullan and Lowry were involved creating a shooting opportunity for David O’Connor from the edge of the penalty area, a chance which the defender could hardly have struck much better desperately unfortunate to see his shot canon of Crawford’s crossbar with the keeper a bystander.

The home side continued to probe and were eventually rewarded with 70 minutes gone when Walker intercepted a clearance before picking out the perfectly timed run of McMullan who beat the offside trap before calmly taking the ball round Crawford and walking the ball into the net to level the scores. The home support could have expected their team to kick on after this and although Newry were virtually camped in the Fivemiletown half for the next 15 minutes they struggled to find a way through a stubborn defence, their best chance on goal limited to a Paulis Smaryginas shot from the edge of the penalty area from a McMullan lay off which was blocked by a covering defender with Crawford beaten.

And with 87 minutes on the clock Fivemiletown grabbed the winning goal from a corner, Gillespie allowed a free run to rise unchallenged to power his header past Ruddy from close range.

So confined to a mid table finish this game will have reinforced manager Mullen’s thoughts as he builds for next season “I know what’s needed for next season and we will be working hard to get the right players in but we have a responsibility to first finish of this season in the right manner. To do that we have to learn to cut out the mistakes and to finish off the chances we work so hard to create. Next week’s game against Camlough is the perfect opportunity to put things right and it’s a game we will all be looking forward to.”

NCAFC Team: Connor Ruddy, Niall Crilly, David O’Connor, Conor McCaul, Ian Curran, Josh Durnin, Jimmy Walker, Chris McMahon, Sean McMullan, Mark Lowry, Sean Hand. Subs: Keith Johnston, Graeme Edgar, Stefan Martin, Neil Barr, Paulius Smaryginas.

 Photographs Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.