“I thought it was going to be one of those days” was how Newry manager Darren Mullen summed up his teams Irish Cup 1^st round match in Strabane on Saturday. Having twice hit the woodwork before going a goal down just after the half hour mark and then spurning a series of good chances most present would have agreed with his assessment but that was not allowing for Newry’s battling qualities and Mark Patton’s equalizing goal in the 87^th minute after which there was only going to be one team progressing into the next round from this tie.

For the first half hour the game was fairly even with chances coming and going and both ends. After only five minutes Newry keeper Peter Murphy was forced to dive low to his right to make a fine save from a Jason McGrinder effort from inside the penalty area. Newry’s response was immediate, Chrissy Fay making space wide on the left wing and swinging in a cross which the Strabane keeper flapped at, the loose ball falling to Sean McMullan who with a wall of players in front of him lobbed the ball over the keeper only for a covering defender to head the ball up and off the underside of the crossbar and bounce to safety.  McMullan was soon to have another chance. Fay fed the over lapping Lowry who cut inside the box and pulled his pass back to McMullan on the penalty spot, the big man twisting and turning but unable to get a clear shot on goal.

On 20 minutes Murphy came to Newrys rescue once more when a sloppy pass out of defence was seized upon by Strabane who worked the ball into the Newry box, Murphy diving full length to save a goal bound shot. With play now end to end the next chance was Newry’s. Embarking on a mazy run Lowry was tripped in a central position some 25 yards from goal. Up stepped McMullan to whip the free kick up and over the wall only to see his shot smack off the crossbar.  Newry continued to press with Aaron Brilly breaking down the right wing before playing a cross field pass which found Lowry on the edge of the box, Lowry’s shot well saved by the home keeper.

Newrys hopes of a cup run were dealt a blow on 35 minutes when Strabanes McGrinder made his way inside the box and fired in a low and hard shot which beat Murphy’s dive, smacked the post and rebounded into the prostrate Newry keeper ricocheting into the opposite corner of the net to put the home team into the lead.

A goal down at half time Newry had a great chance to equalize straight after the restart. Niall Crilly aimed a long throw in to McMullan inside the box. Spotting the run of Patton cleverly McMullan stepped over the ball which fell into his partner’s path, Patton unfortunately unable to get enough force into his shot to beat the keeper. Newry kept making chances. Ryan Quinn who was having a major influence on the game having been introduced into the centre of midfield played a through ball to McMullan. Again McMullan twisted one way and then another to find room to shoot before attempting to curl the ball into the far corner, his shot once more finding the home keeper. And when a Fay cross from the left wing found an unmarked Lowry in space on the edge of the six yard box and the man who has been in such good form hit his shot off the top of the crossbar the omens were really bleak for a Newry cup run. However that was all to change with minutes left Patton battling for a long ball in the Strabane box, the big man using his physical presence to turn his marker and then plant the ball into the roof of the Strabane net to bring the tie to extra time.

Full of energy and buoyed by the late equalizer Newry completely dominated the extra period. As early as the 2^nd minute Lowry went on a mazy run and from the corner of the box curled a left foot shot towards the far top corner and with the home keeper stranded the ball hit the Strabane woodwork for the 3^rd time. This was only delaying the inevitable as minutes later Crilly and Lowry wove a pattern of passes down the flank before finding Keith Johnston who sped away from his marker and slipped a clinical finish past the Strabane custodian to put Newry in front. Newry had a chance to give themselves some breathing space soon after with Lowry once more weaving his way around defenders only to be chopped down inside the box, the referee with no option but to award a penalty kick. With the large travelling support holding its breath up stepped McMullan. Unfortunately the Strabane keeper got the better of the battle diving to his left to smother the spot kick. Again the let off was temporary. For this game Newry had an embarrassment of strength on the bench one of whom was captain Chris McMahon who was returning from injury. Normally a midfield dynamo McMahon was introduced in the first half at left back due to an injury to Conor McCaul. Whilst he did not look out of place defending McMahons two most important contributions were to be direct long balls which lead to goals.

With the first period of extra time running out McMahon hit a long pass over the top of the Strabane defence for speed merchant Johnston who had also been introduced from the bench. Although not winning the first ball Johnston battled back to secure possession. With Fay providing a decoy on the overlap Johnston ran direct at the Strabane rearguard taking the ball almost to the end line before firing in a low cross which was met by Lowry darting across the face of the goal to deflect the cross into the net with the deftest of touches. The second period of extra time was a keep ball exercise for Newry illuminated by another spot by McMahon seeing Lowry isolated on the half way line and playing perfect long pass which the Newry speedster ran on to before lobbing the ball over the advancing keeper to add some gloss on the score line.

Newry manager Darren Mullen was obviously delighted with his team’s perseverance “We knew that Strabane were a good side and I would say that they deservedly took the lead as we started slowly. However after they scored we were the better team for the remainder of the game and had many chances to score. I thought it was going to be one of those days but after Mark scored I had no doubt that we were going to win. The pace of Keith Johnston and Mark Lowry caused them problems and it ended up a very good win for us. It has taken us a while to get going and while we are not going to get carried away we are starting to look like a proper team”

Newry City AFC: Murphy, Crilly, McCaul, Curran, Donegan, Patton, Fay, Brilly, McMullan, Edgar, Lowry. Subs: McMahon, Quinn, Johnston, Barr, Campbell, Martin, Davison.

Newry breezed into the third round of the Marshall Cup with a comfortable four goal win over Seapatrick at the Showgrounds on Tuesday evening. Determined to build from the back Newry at times passed the ball around as if they were the only team on the pitch and created many more chances than were converted. Never the less manager Darren Mullen will see this as another improved display as his team settle down after a shaky start to the season.

The home sides first chance came as early as the second minute, David O’Connor lofted the ball to the edge of the area where it was helped on by Mark Patton to Aaron Brilly arriving at the back post, Brilly’s prod at the ball through the defenders legs saved by Darren Brooker in the Seapatrick goal.

Lowry’s lightening pace later proved to be the one of the highlights of the match and Seapatrick got an early warning on the fifth minute when he was released by Niall Crilly for a run on goal. Having burst into the opposing penalty area Lowry chose to pull the ball back for Sean McMullan who had done well to get anywhere near Lowry and was unfortunate when Lowrys pullback was a stride behind him as he arrived inside the box.

The home support didn’t have to wait long on the opening goal however as Newry went 1-0 up on 10 minutes with the same two players involved. This time McMullan was to be the provider slipping the ball to the feet of Lowry who rolled away from his marker and passed the ball neatly past Brooker for goal number one.

Newry were almost playing with a four man attack with Brilly on the right and Chris Fay on the left linking with Lowry and McMullan. The two wingers were central to Newrys next two chances, the first of which was spurned, the second converted. On 17 minutes Brilly picked the ball up inside his own half and raced forward, giving the ball to Lowry before getting it back and whipping in a high cross to the back post where it was met by Fay alas unable to keep his headed effort down, the ball sailing over the crossbar.

The second chance was created by one of those passing movements which Newry excel at. Having received the ball from his defence Patton held the play up in midfield before laying it back to centre half Paul Donegan. Donegan spotted Lowry move into space and pumped a low ball into his feet. Lowry instantly knocked the ball wide to Brilly who whipped another cross along the face of the Seapatrick goal where again it was met by Fay arriving at the back post and this time he made no mistake to double the Newry lead.

Newry were attacking at will at this stage with Graeme Edgar, who had another excellent game in the centre of the park, venturing forward to get his head to a Fay cross but was unable to get enough loft on his attempt to lift the ball over Brooker.

The 35^th minute brought the first threat to the Newry goal of the night, an effort which was snuffed out by an excellent sliding block from Donegan who with his partner Ian Curran rarely looked troubled and were more often the building blocks for Newry attacks.

The third goal owed much to the skill of McMullan. Receiving a throw in from O’Connor deep in the Seapatrick half McMullan flicked the ball up and crossed it over his head for Brilly to nip in front of his marker and flick a deft volley from the edge of the small box up and over Brooker and into the net for a picture goal to leave the half time score 3-0.

With the tie virtually won in the first half there was little urgency to the game in the early part of the second half as the home side passed the ball around. This changed on 65 minutes when O’Connor battled for the ball deep in his own half and having secured possession found Patton. Like Edgar, Patton had shown his versatility with a splendid nights work in the centre of midfield. Now with the ball at his feet and having spotted Lowry isolated with his marker on the half way line the big man pitched a perfect ball which bounced midway inside the Seapatrick half giving Lowry a race with his marker. Having started a yard or two behind in a flash Lowry had raced past the defender and despite attempts to haul him back latched onto the ball and in a few paces fired in a low shot which Brooker could only tip onto the base of his post and into the net for goal number four.

With the game won Newry made three changes but the chances kept coming with McMullan involved in most. On 75 minutes he broke down the right wing and crossed to the back post where Stefan Martin rose highest to head the ball back across the goal and was unfortunate to see it cleared off the line for a corner. Ever alert McMullan received a short pass from the corner and picked out Curran who’s diving header was also blocked on the Seapatrick goal line.

Seapatrick for their part kept battling and with 10 minutes left had their best opportunity of the night. Having hustled the Newry defence into a mistake a Seapatrick attacker fizzed a low shot from the corner of the Newry box across goal forcing Peter Murphy to dive full length to tip the shot around his post.

The final chance of the night came Newry’s way and once more McMullan was at the centre of it. Finding himself surrounded by three Seapatrick players wide on the right McMullan flicked a pass up and over the trio releasing the overlapping Edgar down the wing. Edgar swung in a cross which Lowry headed wide.

In all a comfortable win for Newry but as always games have to be won. This game was won with a solid defence who moped up anything which came their way along with often starting many attacking movements. In midfield Patton and Edgar put in sterling shifts whilst the four attacking players jelled excellently with Lowry sealing the Man of the Match award with two excellent goals.

Newry City AFC: Murphy, Crilly, O’Connor, Curran, Donegan, Patton, Edgar, Brilly, Fay, McMullan, Lowry. Subs: Martin, Campbell, Quinn, Davison.

Photographs courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.