Newry City made it three league wins in a row with a 4-2 win over old rivals St Mary’s at the Showgrounds on Saturday. For their first meeting since both sides were promoted from Intermediate B last season Newry manager Darren Mullen would have known what to expect from the visitors and was naturally pleased with the result “After our games with St Marys last season we knew this was going to be a tough fixture and it proved to be the case. Having said that a few defensive lapses made it closer than it should have been. We have learned to be patient in recent games and although we had the majority of possession in the first half it wasn’t until the last 20 minutes or so of the half that that we looked dangerous. We maintained that higher tempo in the second half and we look a lot better when we move the ball quicker. That’s three wins in a row for us now as we start to get a more settled side. The win sets us up nicely for next Saturdays derby game away to Camlough in what will be a tough test for us but one that we are looking forward to.”

Mullen however will be aware that his team have been slow starters off late and they may not get away with that against high flying Camlough. On Saturday neither side registered an attempt on goal until the 15th minute when Newrys Mark Lowry controlled a Josh Durnin cross on his chest but having done the hard bit was unable to keep his shot down the ball flying harmlessly over the crossbar.  Although Newry were enjoying lots of possession chances were few and far between, the home fans made to wait until the 25th minute for Newry to get a shot on target, David O’Connor flighting a pass over the defence for Jimmy Walker who forced Martin Savage to react quickly to turn the ball around his near post. The home side continued to probe but found the St Mary’s rear guard a tough nut to crack.  On 40 minutes Conor McCaul almost found a way through. Having picked the ball up in his own half McCaul strode forward before finding Sean McMullan inside the box, the big man twisting to make space for a shot which Savage again saved. McMullan was to have the final chance of the half O’Connor’s cross nodded into his path by Mark Patton, McMullan’s first time shot this time not troubling the St Mary’s keeper.

Newry continued to press in the opening stages of the second half and got the little bit of luck which their play deserved on 55 minutes. Lowry now switched to the right wing stepped inside his marker and released McMullan. With no one available McMullan held the ball until the arrival into the box of Walker who’s first time shot deflected off the St Marys defender as he attempted to block, the ball spinning viciously into the corner of the net despite the best efforts of Savage.

Now a goal up and expecting to kick on Newry were rocked back on their heels on 65 minutes when they lost possession in the middle of the park, St Marys Sean Brady quickly seizing the opportunity to break down the left wing before whipping in a low cross which was clinically turned into the Newry net by Luke Carvill to level the scores.

Newry were not to be denied and restored their lead with a goal created and scored by Man of the Match Jimmy Walker. With little on Ian Curran pitched a long pass to Walker just outside the box. With his back to goal Walker took the ball on his chest drawing a foul from the St Mary’s defender.  Walker stepped up to take the free blasting his shot through the defensive wall, the ball taking a slight deflection on the way which aided its passage into the net.

Walker was now controlling the game but spurned a few chances to claim his hat trick. He was however involved in Newrys third goal on 83 minutes which should have wrapped up the game. With the ball in a central position Walker sprayed the ball wide to Neil Barr who lobbed in a high first time cross which McMullan rose highest to meet steering his header past Savage to make the game safe for the home side.

Or so it seemed but that was not allowing for the spirit of the visitors who once more broke up field from the restart, Chris Mackle finding space down the wing before crossing for the recently introduced Michael O’Haire who gave Ruddy no chance with an expert finish.

With the points now back in the balance Newry went right back on the attack, Lowry taking the ball to the end line before pulling his cross back to the penalty spot from where Barr’s first time shot was pushed wide by Savage. However the danger was not gone, O’Connor picking up the loose ball and lofting in a high ball which McMullan met with an overhead volley which skimmed the post. Unlucky with this, the Newry centre forward was soon to benefit from a major slice of fortune when a St Marys clearance hit the referee, the ball ricocheting straight to McMullan with only the keeper to beat, the big man calmly taking the ball around Savage before finishing to the empty net to round off the scoring 4-2 in Newry’s favour.

Newry City AFC: Ruddy, Hand, O’Connor, Curran, McCaul, McMahon, Walker, Patton, McMullan, Durnin, Lowry. Subs: Campbell, Edgar, Donegan, Barr, Fay.

A strong second half performance was enough to secure the points for Newry City at home to Lower Maze in Saturdays Mid Ulster league tie. Scoreless at half time due in no small way to an assured display by Newry keeper Conor Ruddy the game changed immediately after half time thanks to a bit of magic from the mercurial Sean McMullan and a smart header at the back post from Man of the Match Ian Curran after which the home side never really looked in trouble.

Newry manager Darren Mullen has been unable to field a settled team all season, indeed only four of Saturday’s team started the season opener against Lower Maze in August and for this game Mullen made four changes from the side which beat Broomhill two weeks ago. All that makes for a lack of continuity and so it was for the first half of this game with play moving at pace from end to end with plenty of goal scoring opportunities.

After some early sparring it took until the eighth minute that either side had a shot on target Lower Mazes Thomas Neill cutting inside from the right wing before hitting a rising drive which Ruddy comfortably palmed over his crossbar. The Newry response was instantaneous, Josh Durnin who again belied his tender years with a composed display in the midfield of the park, played the perfect through ball for Chris McMahon to beat the offside trap, the Newry captain alas unable to find a colleague with his cross. Neill was the liveliest of the visiting strikers and he again tested Ruddy after 15 minutes, breaking the Newry offside trap only to be foiled by the Newry keeper who was quickly off his line block Neill’s effort with his legs. Again play swung to the other end Mark Patton holding the ball up inside the Maze box before picking out Mark Lowry who pulled his shot wide of the far post with the goal gaping.

While the play in the first quarter of the game was end to end the second quarter saw two distinct periods of pressure for both teams. First up were Lower Maze, Newry relying on Curran, Niall Crilly and McMahon to quell successive attacks before they troubled Ruddys goal. Having weathered this ten minute spell Newry gradually got to grips with the game with McMahon, Patton and Durnin getting on top in midfield. The home side almost opened the scoring just before the break. Conor McCaul picked the ball up in his central defensive position and strode up field, skipping around Mazes tackles before laying the ball to the feet of McMullan inside the box, the big man twisting one way and then the other to make room for a shot which brought a fine reaction save from David O’Neill in the Lower Maze goal leaving the game scoreless at half time.

Newry carried this period of superiority with them into the second half and converted it onto the score sheet a minute after the restart. Bright as ever McMullan showed short for a corner from the Newry right. Immediately confronted by a covering defender McMullan tricked his way past the Lower Maze man before picking out Curran at the back post, a chance the defender was not going to miss for his 6^th goal of the season. Not content with that Curran almost doubled Newrys advantage minutes later when he controlled a clearance on the half way line before making inroads into the Lower Maze half before hitting a perfectly hit shot from some 35 yards out which looked destined for the top corner of the net only for O’Neill to produce an excellent save.

Although Newry continued to dominate Lower Maze did have their own chances Neill yet again bringing the best out of Ruddy who was once more quickly off his line to block, this followed by an even better chance when the Maze talisman Neill met a cross at the back post with a low volley which was cleared off the Newry line by the covering Conor McCaul.

However Newry stepped up a gear controlling the rest of the game. McMullan was giving the Lower Maze defence all sorts of problems. On 70 minutes McMullan’s perfectly timed run behind the Lower Maze defence was met with a chipped pass from Paulis Smyrgyanos, McMullan controlling and shooting in the same movement, O’Neill once more producing a smart save low at his near post. On 75 minutes McMullan turned provider, taking the Lower Maze defence out of the game with a ball over the top which Mark Lowry ran onto but was unable to get his shot away as the away defence recovered. Lowry however made almost immediate amends. McMahon held possession midway inside Lower Maze half until Lowry made his run, McMahons incisive pass giving Lowry a run on goal, the striker this time shooting early smashing his shot with the outside of his right into the top right hand corner of the Lower Maze net. And gloss was added to the win late in the game when Crilly gained possession in his own half, skipped up field, played a give and go with McMullan who chipped the ball over the defence back into his path and whilst the defender was unfortunate that his attempt to lob over the keeper hit the crossbar he remained alert to latch onto the loose ball and finish it to the net to round off the scoring.

Speaking after the game, Newry manager Darren Mullen was content with collecting all three points “It was a good win against a physical and well organised side although there’s still plenty to improve on. The intensity and quality of our play in the first half wasn’t good enough. The players were told to move the ball quicker in the right areas and thankfully we got our rewards early in the second half. Once the first goal went in they had to push forward a bit more and that gave us the room to exploit. The fact we still have so many players missing was also pleasing and considering that the average age of our team was only 23 it gives us something to build on. Young Conor Ruddy has kept two clean sheets in two games and at 18 looks a good prospect. Josh Durnin came back into the team and looked immediately at ease. With Josh Cargin also making his debut from the bench these two 17 year olds are a good indication of what we are trying to do at the club. Hopefully we can build on recent results and finish the season in the right manner.”

Newry now welcome St.Mary’s to the Showgrounds on Saturday 31st Jan. KO 3pm.

Newry City AFC: Conor Ruddy, Niall Crilly, Conor McCaul, IanCurran, Josh Durnin, Chris McMahon, Mark Patton, Sean Hand, Sean McMullan, Joe Campbell, Mark Lowry. Subs: Josh Cargin, Jimmy Walker, Rian Hand, Paulius Smyrgyanos, Paddy Mooney.