Another slow start but in the end a comprehensive victory for Newry City in Tuesday night’s Mid Ulster Cup tie against Dromore Amateurs. The game will be remembered for a sparkling hat trick from veteran Sean McMullan and the competitive debut of Kevin Moan and Gary Crummy, both of whom look like good additions to the first team squad.

For the first half hour of the game Newry had much of the possession but did not threaten the Dromore goal except for an Aaron Brilly snapshot from outside the box after he was set up Sean McMullan. For all Newry’s tidy passing it took a good old fashioned hard block tackle from youngster Crummy to create the first goal. Having won the tackle Crummy played the ball into the feet of McMullan on the edge of the Dromore box. The big man took a step to his left and fired a low left foot shot back across the keeper and into the corner of the net to put Newry into the lead. Newry had made six changes for this game, one of them being Ian Curran starting at left back. Curran displayed his array of skills soon after the opening goal when he sprayed a diagonal ball which landed perfectly for Jimmy Walker to volley first time from the corner of the six yard box, his effort flashing wide of the far post with the Dromore keeper beaten. The home side doubled their advantage on 40 minutes. Kenny Kearns won the ball inside his own half and immediately released Walker. The Newry playmaker drilled a long pass along the ground which the Dromore right back Timmy Stewart attempted to intercept. McMullan gambled on Stewart missing the ball and when he did the big man had only one Dromore defender to beat which he did easily with a drop of his right shoulder before moving the ball onto his trusty left foot and blasting the ball high into the net to put Newry 2-0 up. The home side had a great chance for number three on the stroke of half time. Chris McMahon split the Dromore defence with an incisive pass giving Brilly a one on one with Thompson in the Dromore goal, a battle which the keeper won to leave the half time score 2-0 in Newrys favour.

Immediately after the break in a rare break away Dromore looked all set to half the deficit only for Peter Murphy to sprint from his line to clear the danger to the Newry goal.

And from here on it was one way traffic as Newry dominated the rest of the game. With Kearns and McMahon holding the middle of the field Walker had the freedom of the park. On 50 minutes he picked the ball up in the centre of the field and after playing one twos with McMullan found himself inside the box with the advancing keeper to beat. Walker pitched his shot into the air and although unfortunate to see it hit the cross bar Crummy was alert to react first to the rebound to slot home his first senior goal for Newry. On the hour mark McMullan completed his hat trick with the best goal of the night.  Walker is always on the alert for something different. Standing over a free kick outside the Dromore box Walker spotted McMullan moving round the back of the last defender and lofted in a pass which landed perfectly for McMullan who did not have to break stride as he volleyed past Thompson to put Newry 4-0 up. The big man was also involved in goal number 5 as he got his head to a long Paul Donegan pass to nod the ball down to Brilly who was chopped down as he brought the ball into the Dromore penalty box. When the referee pointed to the spot Donegan grabbed the chance to slot the penalty low and hard past Thompson. Newry’s final goal of the night was started and finished by Walker. On the ball again in the middle of the field Walker skipped around a challenge or two before laying the ball wide to Keith Johnston. Continuing his run Walker was then on hand inside the box to take the return pass and shoot past Thomson to make the final score 6-0 to Newry.

On a night when Newry switched their team around with a bench full of first team players waiting to be introduced they were best served by Walker and Crummy with McMullan just about sealing the Man of the Match award with that hat trick.

Newry manager Darren Mullen, now faced with some tricky selection decisions, was clearly pleased to be faced with that problem “That was a game we never looked troubled in but for all our possession it took a while to get the first goal. Once that went in we settled a bit and controlled the rest of the game. The performance and the result are clearly pleasing as we made six changes for the game from Saturday’s team. That’s shows the strength in depth we have in the squad with more players shortly due back from injury. Kevin Moan and Gary Crummy both had excellent games on their full debut and I’m sure Gary won’t forget his first Newry goal.

Newry City AFC: Murphy, Edgar, Curran, Donegan, Moan, Walker, Kearns, McMahon, McMullan, Brilly, Crummy, Subs: Johnston, Lowry, Patton, Crilly, Quinn, Barr.

Name: Peter Murphy

Age: 33

Occupation: Scaffolder

Position: Goalkeeper

Previous Clubs: Glenview, Bessbrook United

Honours: I’ve won 2 x Mid Ulster Shields, 3 x Carbane leagues(I think!), a couple of Bessbrook cups and a few AOH and Fr Davies trophies. Also runner up in 2 Irish Junior cup finals!

Footballing Hero: Stevie G

What is the best ground you have played in? The Showgrouds by a mile.

Who is the joker of the team? Ian Curran. He’d cut you in two with some of his one liners.

Apart from yourself who is the best player on the team? I’d better say Jimmy Walker or he’ll take the hump.

Who is the worst at training? Donegan. He comes once a week and spends the first hour with the physio!

Who has the worst dress sense? Me! Shocking, just shocking.

Who is the best player you have ever played with? Philly Hughes at Bessbrook. Also the laziest player I’ve ever played with!

If you had a super power what would it be? Extendable arms, for obvious reasons!

What are your interests outside of football? I like golf. I don’t get to play as often as I’d like though. I’ll play more when I retire which will be soon enough I’d say!

Finally, tell us something about yourself not many people know! I like to wear colourful and crazy boxers. Darren Mullen will be able to tell you all about them. He thinks they’re amazing!

Photo above: Jimmy Walker receives his Man of The Match award from Newry Coach Jervis McCaul. Photo:Brendan Monaghan

Wins in seven out of eight cup matches played so far this season will have pleased Newry manager Darren Mullen with the latest coming at the Showgrounds on Saturday when his team beat Loughall Reserves 3-1 in the Marshall Cup.

In an entertaining game Loughall went ahead against the run of play after 7^th minutes when Nathaniel Ferris latched onto a long pass into the Newry penalty before brushing off a challenge and dispatching his shot past Chris Davison to put Loughall a goal up. This came minutes after Newry had themselves gone close to scoring. Mark Patton, back in his familiar centre forward role, guided a knock down header to the feet of Keith Johnson who twisted one way and then the other before side footing his shot towards the corner of the Loughall goal, unfortunate to see the ball hit the post. Newry continued to dominate possession making a series of decent goal scoring chances. On the quarter hour mark Man of the Match Jimmy Walker chipped a centrally positioned free kick over the defence which Paul Donegan met with a side foot volley across the face of the Loughall goal, the cross cleared as the waiting Neil Barr was about to pounce. Minutes later it was Mark Lowrys turn to threaten. Receiving a pass from Niall Crilly on the edge of the box Lowry spun his marker and fired in a low shot which Robinson in the Loughall nets held at the second attempt. The home side had a great chance to equalize with 25 minutes gone. Graeme Edgar floated a high ball in towards target man Patton who was winning every ball which came his way. Patton nodded the ball into the path of Barr now with a free run on goal, the usually clinical striker unable to get control into his shot which went harmlessly wide. The only remaining threat to either goal came on the half hour mark, Lowry coming short to receive a free kick from Walker and setting up Kenny Kearns who from 30 yards out slammed his shot into the mid drift of the Loughall keeper to leave the half time score 0-1.

The defining moments of the tie came in the 46^th minute when Barr and the Loughall keeper Robinson were set in a race for the ball on the edge of the Loughall penalty box. When both players met with the ball at the same moment the ball spun to just outside the box where Robinson, perhaps in the belief that he had been fouled, picked it up. Awarding a free kick outside the box the referee was left with little option other than to show Robinson a red card. If Loughall felt aggrieved by this their hurt was doubled when Walker stepped up to curl the free kick around the wall and into the bottom corner of the net to level the score. Newry scored again on the 50^th minute when Lowry used his pace to run onto a Crilly through ball, shrugging off a challenge as he bore down on goal before shooting low into the near corner of the Loughall goal. Lowry was again involved on the hour mark when Kearns played a clever ball inside the corner back, Lowry cutting in from the wing to drill a low cross across the penalty area which was met by Barr who brought an excellent reaction save from the Loughall stand in keeper John McConville.

For their part even though a man down Loughall had moments when they looked dangerous, twice in successive movements Crilly was called upon to rescue the home side as he swept up some threatening positions.

The game also saw the introduction to the 1^st team of Newrys youth team player Gary Crummy who showed his potential getting involved in play immediately after coming onto the pitch with 20 minutes remaining. Released by Crilly, Crummy swung over a high cross which was met by Patton on the back post, his knock down header wasted as no Newry player’s had anticipated the chance. Crummy was again involved minutes later carrying the ball from midfield to outside the Loughall penalty area where he set up Johnston with a shooting chance, his effort alas wide of the post.

Newry wrapped the game up in the final minutes when a perfectly guided long pass from defence by Donegan gave Chrissy Fay a free run on the Loughall goal, the speedy winger making no mistake as he drilled a low shot into the far bottom corner of the net to send Newry into the next round as 3-1 winners.

Speaking after the game Newry manager Mullen said “We were frustrated at half time as we had enough chances to be in front but paid the price for some poor defending. They were a good young side but apart from the first 20 minutes we controlled most of the game but were wasteful in possession. The sending off of their keeper obviously had a bearing on the game but we had shown enough signs in the last 25 minutes of the first half that we were in the ascendency. It’s another cup win and we look forward to the next round. It was also pleasing to give young Gary Crummy his debut and he certainly did not look out of place. He showed up really well in training this week and at 17 looks a good prospect”

Newry City AFC: Davison, Crilly, Edgar, Donegan, McMahon, Kearns, Walker, Patton, Barr, Johnston, Lowry Subs: McMullan, Fay, Crummy, Brilly, Moan.

Newrys next game is on Tuesday 14^th Oct @ 8pm at home to Dromore Amateurs in the Mid Ulster Cup. On Saturday 18^th Newry travel to Seapatrick for a Premier Cup fixture with a 2:15pm kick off. NCAFC travel club bus will leave the Stonebridge @ 1.30 pm, all welcome.