Newry City AFC came out on top in a tense and at times dour local derby at the Newry Showgrounds on Friday night. As in many of their games this season the Newry side spent most of the game camped in the opposition half but had to rely on a moment of class from captain Chris McMahon to secure the points which keeps them at the top of the league.

The defining moment of the game came as early as the 14^th minute. Shane Lundy playing wide on the wing found his over lapping left back David Anderson who took the ball to the by line and drove in a low and hard cross which was met by a perfectly timed run by McMahon who smashed a left footed volley past Adam Rowland in the Moneyslane net before he had a chance to react.

The home side nearly doubled the advantage minutes later when Niall Crilly pushed forward from his right back position before sliding the ball to the feet of centre forward Mark Patton. Patton cleverly back heeled the ball into the path of Jimmy Walker, his shot from inside the box flashing wide of the post.

Patton created Newry’s only other goal chance of the half on 36 minutes when he battled and won possession of a loose ball in the Moneyslane area before again finding Walker. Walker passed to Graeme Edgar on the left corner of the box, Edgar taking a step to his right before firing in a low shot which Rowland saved at the foot of his right post.

Moneyslane for their part never really got going in the first half with Conor McCaul and Joel Annett comfortably dealing with the little which came their way and Peter Murphy in the Newry net mostly employed by home back passes, as Moneyslane defended in numbers, the half ending with Newry holding that solitary goal advantage.

McMahon had a glorious chance to bring his goal tally to two for the evening on 49 minutes when he anticipated and intercepted a poorly judged cross field pass along the away defence which gave him a run on goal from just inside the half. McMahon, with defenders at his heels, took the ball to the edge of the away box before tamely shooting wide with the goal at his mercy.

Sporadic chances continued to come Newrys way. Shortly after McMahons chance Edgar retrieved a Crilly cross at the back post before laying the ball back to the feet of the supporting Anderson. His cross was met by the head of Patton who climbed highest on the penalty spot only for his effort to fly wide of the post.

Although Newry always held the upper hand they could not get the breathing space of a second goal and were reminded of the fragility of a one goal lead on 55 minutes when Moneyslane broke wide on their right and zipped a low cross to inside the Newry six yard box which McCaul got to first and facing his own goal worked wonders to hook his clearance up and over his own cross bar to safety.

Newry pressed forward again in search of that elusive second goal. On the hour mark Patton battled to win another corner which was swung over by Walker finding Anderson at the back post who watched as his header dropped the wrong side of the crossbar.

Anderson, like his partner full back Crilly, was as much involved in Newry attacking movements as he was engaged defensively, instigated the best piece of football on the night on the 70^th minute when he received the ball inside his own half facing his own goal and in a fleeting movement back heeled the ball into space, leaving his marker in his wake. Anderson then found Walker free inside the Moneyslane half. Walker fed the ball to the feet of Patton who returned the pass to Walker before spinning round the Moneyslane defender in time to meet Walkers cross with his head on the edge of the six yard box for what would have been the perfect goal had his header not have gone the wrong side of the post from Newry’s perspective.

This was a satisfactory display by Newry. Once again Newry were solid at the back returning their ninth clean sheet of the season which means that they only have to score once to win and Newry did that thanks to that stunning strike from Man of the Match Chris McMahon who literally is a dynamo that never stops running, tackling and passing but topped the evening off with the game’s only goal.

Newry City AFC Team: Peter Murphy, Niall Crilly, David Anderson, Joel Annett, Conor McCaul, Graeme Edgar, Christopher McMahon, Ian Curran, Mark Patton, Jimmy Walker, Shane Lundy. Subs: Peter Thompson, Mark Lowry (Curran), Lonnie Larkin, Paul McElroy, Joe Campbell.

Moneyslane FC Team: Adam Rowland, John Whitten, Mark Jardine, Mark Irvine, Andrew Moore, Alistar Quinn, Thomas Lockhart, Chris Kerr, Michael McKee, Dean Heasley, Gareth Bingham. Subs: David Boyd, Steven Adair, Robert Weir, Mark Anderson, Neil Bingham.

John Smyth has been awarded the NCAFC Player of the Month award for October.

‘Smythy’ was in terrific form during October – scoring a hat-trick against Richill in the Irish Cup along with goals against Valley Rangers and Broomhedge in the league. After a mixed start to the season he developed into one of the club’s key players and will be missed during his absence due to work.

John took time out of his busy work schedule on Thursday evening to speak to us:

“I am delighted to be awarded the October Player of the Month, it’s a great personal achievement for me. I missed the last game of the month but managed to score some goals in the other games.”

“I am still signed with the club and every opportunity I get to come back home I will do my best to help the team out.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to Darren for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do. I’d also like to thank my team mates, they’re a great bunch of lads. I hope to be back playing soon but until then I’d like to wish my team mates the very best of luck.”

Newry City AFC claimed their place in the 4^th round of the Irish Senior Cup at the expense of Amateur League side Downpatrick FC in a pulsating victory, after penalty kicks, at the Showgrounds on Saturday. On a cold afternoon in Newry those present witnessed a fully committed display from a home team determined to put on a show with Radio Ulster broadcasting updates from the game live across the airwaves.

In a game high on chances but bereft of goals the first chance came the way of Downpatrick when a slide rule pass gave Galbraith a site of goal he forced Peter Murphy into a smart save low to his right. Newry soon hit back, Ian Curran floated a centrally positioned free kick into the box for which Mark Patton had timed his run to beat the offside trap but was beaten to the ball by the keeper Russell who rushed off his line, the ball screwing off the keeper’s fist to go behind for a Newry corner.

The bigger threat to the Downpatrick goal came from Shane Lundy’s corner which found Patton at the back post, his goal bound effort blocked on the line. Patton was winning everything that came his way in the air and was responsible for Newry’s next two chances both for Jimmy Walker. On 24 minutes Patton won a Murphy clearance, the ball falling to the feet of Walker on the left of the Downpatrick box. Walker looked up and curled a dipping shot just over the far top corner of the away goal.

The next chance five minutes later saw Walker pick up another Patton knock down and skip around two defenders before blasting his shot narrowly wide of the Downpatrick post.

It was not all one way traffic but any Downpatrick threat to the home goal was snuffed out by the Newry defence with the pace of McCaul and Annett particularly impressive. When the away team managed to get down the Newry flanks Murphy came to the home sides rescue twice in quick succession diving to claim crossed balls on his six yard line.

The best chance of the half came in the final minute when Chris McMahon and Niall Crilly linked up to find Walker with his choice of three Newry forwards on the edge of the Downpatrick box with only two defenders and the keeper to beat. Walker slipped his pass to Lundy wide on the left but Russell in the away goal was quickly off his line and smothered Lundys shot to leave the half time score 0-0.

Newry resumed the second half in attack mode. Neat passing between Graeme Edgar and McMahon gave Crilly the chance to cross low, the ball half cleared to the edge of the box into the path of Curran who had moved up from his holding role in front of the Newry back four, Currans curling left foot shot bringing a fine save from Russell low to his right post.

On the hour mark Newry were awarded a penalty in a move which started deep in their own half. McCaul won the ball in a fifty fifty challenge and maintained control of the ball to find Patton on the half way line. Patton played the ball wide to Lundy who made ground before cutting into the box and attempting to find Patton with a cross which the referee adjudged to have been blocked by the hand of a Downpatrick defender. Although Jimmy Walker placed his penalty hard and low towards the corner of the net Russell flung himself to his right post to save.

When Newry attacks were not crafted by the creative interplay of Edgar, McMahon and Walker the direct method was to find Patton with a long ball. On 68 minutes he again created havoc in the home defence forcing a corner from nothing. Walkers swinging cross made its way through a packed box to the back post where Lundy’s reactive snapshot was again blocked on the goal line.

The remainder of the half was end to end with no clear chances except for the final play of the 90 minutes when McMahon found Walker with an incisive pass which dissected the Downpatrick defence and left Walker with only the keeper to beat which he did with a lobbed shot. Unfortunately for Newry the ball also beat the post to bounce wide to leave the game scoreless.

Downpatrick started extra time best with two half chances in as many minutes. The first was a driven shot straight from the resumption which dipped just after it went over the Newry cross bar. This was followed by the only moment of hesitation from the Newry defence on the day when a long ball which Annett attempted to nod back to Murphy was intercepted by a Downpatrick attacker who toe poked the ball just wide of the Newry goal.

This spurred the home team into action, the next scoring opportunity created by the best passing movement of the day started and finished by full back David Anderson. Having received a throw out from Murphy, Anderson was involved in a sweeping movement involving Edgar, McMahon, Curran and Crilly as the ball was swept forward via both sides of the pitch eventually finding Anderson overlapping on the Newry left, his driven shot palmed over the bar by Russell. This was to be the final chance in play as the second period of extra time saw little by the way of goal chances as both teams tired.

The excitement however was only starting. When Downpatrick scored with their first three kicks leaving Newry staring at defeat having missed with their first spot kick up stepped keeper Murphy who not only superbly stopped the next four Downpatrick efforts but blasted home a penalty of his own to set the scene for Niall Crilly to step up and drive Newry’s 7^th penalty hard and low under the diving Russell to put Newry into the next round of the cup with a 4-3 win, before being mobbed by his team mates.

In a game where each and every Newry player gave maximum effort it would be hard to single out where the game was won. Captain Chris McMahon won countless tackles and ran all day, Peter Murphy was flawless in his handling, saved four penalties and scored one but Man of the Match was shaded by Conor McCaul who’s calm demeanour means that much of what he does every week in his efficient way goes unnoticed but on the day was imperious in everything he did. 

Newry now turn their attention back to league duty with a Friday night fixture (15^th November) at The Showgrounds v Moneyslane with a 7:30pm kick off. Kids gain free admission to the game. There will also be a fundraising quiz straight after the game in the Social Club. Please feel free to come and join in on the craic!!

Newry City AFC Team: Peter Murphy, Niall Crilly, David Anderson, Conor McCaul, Joel Annett, Jimmy Walker, Graeme Edgar, Chris McMahon, Ian Curran, Mark Patton, Shane Lundy. Subs: Peter Thompson (Patton), Lonnie Larkin (Curran), Joe Campbell, Sean Hand, Gareth Hughes.

Photographs courtesy of: Brendan Monaghan