Newry City AFC is holding a fundraising quiz at the front bar in the Canal Court Hotel on Thursday, October 26 at 9pm. Please come along and show your support and help raise much needed funds for the club.

Newry City AFC is holding a fundraising quiz at the front bar in the Canal Court Hotel on Thursday, October 26 at 9pm. Please come along and show your support and help raise much needed funds for the club.
Following a disappointing start to the campaign, which saw the club pick up just five points in their opening seven league fixtures, Newry City are beginning to turn a corner, securing back to back wins in their latest two NIFL Championship games.
In form striker Keith Johnston, who has netted four goals in as many games, says the club’s recent revival in form has really helped boost the confidence levels within the squad and insists there is more to come from Newry this season.
He said: “The game against Larne two weeks ago was so important to get a result, with them sitting behind us in the league. That set us up nicely then for the Limavady game last week, everybody played well and worked hard and we got the win, so it’s important now to just keep it going.
“From the games previous to that which we have been beaten in, we honestly believe we could have got something out of them all. There’s been no team so far where we’ve felt they were far superior to us.
“I think we’ve just been unfortunate with injuries as well, particularly in defence. There has always been three of four boys out at one time, but hopefully now with lads starting to come back again we can just push on.
“We know with the squad we have we are more than capable of competing with the teams in this league. A lot of our lads have played at this level before, the likes of Darren King was playing in this league last year and myself and a good few of the other lads have played in it previously as well, so we know we have players here that can compete at this level.”
Next up for Johnston and co. is a home fixture against Championship high flyers Knockbreda next Saturday. Despite a shock defeat today at home to bottom club Larne, the Belfast based club are currently riding high in the NIFL Championship, sitting in second place, just one point off leaders Ballyclare Comrades.
Johnston is well aware of what Knockbreda will have to offer; having come up against them on numerous occasions while playing with Warrenpoint Town and is expecting a tough match.
“You know what to expect against the likes of Knockbreda, they’re a really good, physical side,” said Johnston.
“It was maybe a shock to some people Larne going to Knockbreda today and getting a result, but it just goes to show that in this league everybody is capable of beating each other. There doesn’t really seem to be any one team that are consistent. No game in this league is going to be easy, so we just have to keep putting in the hard work and hopefully the good results will continue to come.”
Newry City AFC as part of the football community are passionate about mental health awareness. Today on World Mental Health Day we are excited to be part of the Irish FA Foundation’s #Take5 video launch. Watch as our international players explain how we can all take five steps to wellbeing. #Connect #KeepLearning #BeActive #TakeNotice #Give
Two goals from Keith Johnston and another from Jimmy Walker won the points for Newry at Limavady on Saturday. While the goal scorer’s will always grab the headlines this was a complete team performance from Newry not least from Jack Heaney who was solid on his league debut in goals, Darren King and John Boyle who have forged a strong partnership in the centre of the Newry defence and Thomas McCann who seemed to be in the right place any time there was any hint of danger to the Newry goal.
It could however have been a very different story were it not for an excellent save from Heaney in the opening minute, quickly off his line to get the better of a one on one with Robbie Hume, Heaney giving the Limavady top scorer little sight of goal before blocking Humes shot with his legs.
An important stop for Newry and one which they never looked back from. With five minutes on the clock Newry created a good chance of their own, Stephen Hughes releasing Johnston on the right wing, his cross taking the home defence out of the game giving Mark McCabe an aerial battle with Limavady keeper Paul Well’s, McCabe bravely getting his head to the ball a second before he was clattered by the keeper, referee Chris Morrison inexplicably waving away vociferous Newry claims for a penalty. McCabe’s movement was causing real problems to the Limavady defence, the Newry striker holding the ball up and winning repeated free kicks on the edge of the penalty area. With 25 minutes on the clock Newry finally made the home side pay for these infringements, free kick maestro Walker stepping up to curl a dead ball around the wall, the pace of Walkers shot together with the wet surface too much for Well’s, the ball squeezing under the keeper’s dive and crossing the goal line despite his attempt to claw it back. Newry continued to dominate possession, their patient passing game creating decent scoring chances for Johnston and McCann, both players narrowly shooting wide. Newry’s superiority had to pay off and with time running out in the first half they doubled their advantage. Starting with a super tackle from McCann deep inside his own half Newry broke forward at pace, Stephen Hughes bringing the ball to the edge of the Limavady box before cutting the defence with a pass into the path of Johnston. From an acute angle Johnston still had lots to do but made light work, drilling a fierce drive across Wells into the far side of the goal for a clinical finish leaving his side 2-0 up at the break.
With Newry content to hold their two-goal advantage the second half began slowly, Walker, McCabe and Johnston all involved in Newry attacks while defensively the visitors were rarely troubled with King and Boyle rock solid in defence. With 70 minutes gone Newry sealed the points. Pressing high up the pitch the visitors forced Limavady’s Ryan Logue into a poorly executed back pass. Similar to Newry’s last game Johnston was again alert to such an opportunity latching onto the loose ball. While his first effort was saved by the advancing Well’s Johnston was not to be denied, picking up the rebound before expertly lobbing the ball over the keeper and into the back of the Limavady goal to put the game out of the home sides reach.
To their credit Limavady refused to give up and pulled a goal back on 80 minutes, for once a crossed ball catching the Newry defence out allowing Gerard Gillan a free header at the back post, Heaney with little chance to save from close range. It was however too little too late to stop Newry running out comfortable winners which pleased Newry manager Darren Mullen “The message to the players before this game was to start getting some consistency in our play rather than just in certain phases of games. Apart from their chance in the first minute I thought it was probably our best performance this season in terms of dominating a game. The work rate throughout the team was exactly what’s needed in this league and thankfully we got our rewards. Considering the amount of injuries we have and losing Kevin McArdle in the warm up it’s a testament to the squad that players are doing so well, especially those playing out of position. It’s also pleasing to be able to give three young lads their Irish league debuts and what they need to do now is continue to work hard to make sure it’s not their last appearance for the senior team. Their inclusion is a testament to the great work Barry Trainor, Gary Redpath and their coaches are doing with the young players at the club. We now have a two-week break which will give us a chance to get some players back from injury.”
Limavady United: Paul Wells, Marcus O’Kane (Jordan Thompson h-t), Andy Devlin, Graham Crown, Johnny Watt (c.), Gary McFadden, Paul Owens, Gerard Gillan, Glenn Law (Aaron Mullan), Ryan Logue (Shane Jennings), Robbie Hume. Substitutes not used: Ray Kelly, Joel Bradley.
Newry City: Jack Heaney, Mark Hughes, Darren King, John Boyle, Chris McMahon, Stephen Hughes (Martin Havern), James Walker, Thomas McCann, Mark McCabe (Aaron Casey), Declan Carville (Robbie Mackin), Keith Johnston. Substitutes not used: Neil Mullen, Kevin McArdle.
Newry City captain Chris McMahon is delighted to be back playing first team football, following a frustrating period on the sidelines with a medial ligament strain.
The 24 year old made his return to the Newry starting eleven in the league win against Larne last Friday night, and although he was pleased to come out of the 90 minutes unscathed, the Newry skipper admits his side’s performance level was well below what they are capable of.
“On a personal note, it was great to be back playing,” he said.
“It’s been a bit stop start lately for me. I knew I would get my chance again once I got fully fit, so hopefully that’s the injuries behind me, and I can keep my position and keep working hard for the team.
“We had a good first half against Larne and should really have been out of sight. In the second half our backs were against the wall, but thankfully when it mattered most, we came up with the goods.
“I think we’ve played really well in a lot of games this season, and we haven’t got anything out of them, so it was nice for a change for things to work out the opposite way, and to get the three points this time,” he admitted.
The Newry squad has been depleted with injuries in the opening months of the season, particularly at the back, with defenders Neil Mullen, Paddy Mooney, Ian Curran, Ruairi Cunningham, Conor McCaul and Paul Mallon all still on the injury list for Darren Mullen’s side.
But with both himself, and the inspirational Darren King now back in the thick of things again, McMahon is hopeful that the club have turned a corner and can continue making their way up the league table.
“Our confidence levels have grown after the Larne result, and hopefully we can go on a bit of a run now,” McMahon said.
“It’s so tight at the moment. We’re six points off bottom and seven points off second, so it shows, with a couple of wins we can leapfrog teams around us. The aim now is to keep knocking out teams and keep climbing the table.
“We’re away to Limavady United on Saturday and we know it is going to be another tough game for us. It’ll be a battle, like most games this year. They have a small narrow pitch, so we know we have to go down and put in 90 minutes hard work and roll up the sleeves. But if we play to the best of our ability we’re more than capable of coming away with the three points.”