Newry City AFC presents an evening with Dermot Gallagher

dermotgallagherncafcNewry City AFC are delighted to announce an evening with ex-Premiership referee and current Sky Sports analyst Dermot Gallagher, at the Newry City AFC Club Rooms on Saturday, October 1st, with doors opening at 8pm sharp. The evening will be followed by music from Murphy’s Law.

Dermot is the only Irishman ever to take the whistle at the highest level in England, overseeing games in the old Football League from 1990 to 1992, and in the Premier League from 1992 up to 2007, and he is the only Irishman to referee the FA Cup final. He was also on the International FIFA list from 1994 to 2002, and as a representative of the English FA was able to referee the Ireland v Russia friendly at Lansdowne Road in his final year.

Dermot is now a regular contributor to Sky Sports News, and a popular and active public speaker. And with a wealth of experiences and tales after a lifetime in the game, on the night he will recall his clashes with Fergie, Mourinho, Wenger, Rafa Benitez, Roy Keane, and the rest, and will intersperse it with unscheduled forays into the audience for some interaction.

There are a limited number of tickets available for the event, which are priced at £10, in what is sure to be a night not to be missed out on. To get your ticket contact Gary Wilson (07745112320), Laura Hillen (07857077176) or any NCAFC committee member.

 

 

 

Newry into Bob Radcliffe Quarter Final

Not their best performance of the season but Newry City still had too much fire power for Mid Ulster side St Marys under The Showgrounds lights on Friday night winning 3-1 to set up a Bob Radcliffe Cup quarter final against Tandragee.

Match Day Mascot Eoin Cunningham with NCAFC Player Mark McCabe.
Match Day Mascot Eoin Cunningham with NCAFC Player Mark McCabe.

Although Newry manager Darren Mullen made several changes to his starting line up the early exchanges looked very positive for the home side who opened up with two great chances neither of which were converted.

First Kevin McArdle broke forward and having exchanged passes with Sean McMullan found himself with a shooting opportunity but instead chose to square the ball to Marty Havern who shot straight at Daniel Devine. This was followed by an even better chance, Paudie Smith finding his former Warrenpoint partner McMullan inside the box, the big man making room for a shot unfortunate to see his effort hit the outside of the post.

For their part St Marys started off slowly, Neil Mullen cutting out a dangerous cross from Dermot Kelly the extent of the threat to the Newry goal. Certainly Newry looked the most likely to score and on the quarter hour mark they almost did, Decky Carville flighting a perfect cross field ball over the St Marys central defence falling for McMullan to chest and volley unfortunately straight at Devine.

Photograph Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.
Photograph Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.

The reprieve was temporary however, Carville chasing the ball to the by line and holding possession before finding Tiarnan Rushe on the corner of the penalty area. Rushe still had a lot to do but made it look simple curling a shot with his left foot across goal into the far top corner of the St Marys net for a picture goal.

For the next half hour chances were in short supply until injury time in the first half when Newry doubled their advantage. Before that the home sides best chance fell to Neil Mullen who made his way forward playing the ball wide to Rushe before receiving it back and trying his luck from the edge of the box, his shot saved by Devine. The visitors also settled into the game and played some neat passing football with Conor Byrne and Ryan Creany showing up well on the left wing, indeed Byrne and Creany created St Marys best chance of the half ending with a dangerous ball across the Newry goal which needed a clearance from Jordan King to snuff out the danger.

Newry grabbed that cushion goal in stoppage time when McMullan received the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the box and flicked it over his head to Marty Havern who although surrounded by defenders took a touch to control the ball and another to make room before picking his spot inside the post to put the home side 2-0 up at the break.

Photograph Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.
Photograph Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.

St Marys came out of the blocks much better than Newry in the 2nd half and had a great chance to pull a goal back after 50 minutes, a long ball catching out the home defence leaving the visiting centre forward Sean Brady with space on the edge of the box. However, split between passing and shooting indecision got the better of the argument, Brady’s tame effort easily saved by Peter Murphy.

Newry however failed to take the warning and Brady soon made amends for that miss when Creany swept a super ball across the face of the Newry goal perfect for Brady to slide home. And things could have got worse for Newry on the hour mark and once more it was Creany down the left wing with a dangerous ball into the Newry box which a St Marys player elected to head when perhaps he was better placed to take a touch, the ball hitting the post and scrambled clear. Shook into action Newry stepped up a gear and created a series of chances of their own, Stephen McCabe outpacing the St Marys defence before crossing for the recently introduced Mark Hughes who was unable to get enough power in his shot to beat Devine.

Photograph Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.
Photograph Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.

The home side came within inches of scoring on 80 minutes, Carville bringing the ball down the left wing before cutting back along the end line and finding McMullan, the striker toppling over as he stretched to have his first effort parried by Devine, McMullan struggling on the ground to forcing the loose ball over the goal line only to be denied by Devine.

Newry sealed the tie on 85 minutes. With the visitors pushing forward for the equalizer the ball was cleared to another Newry replacement Keith Johnston. Full off confidence with from his early season form Johnston raced into the St Marys half and with options either side Johnston drew the lone St Mary’s defender before slipping the ball to Hughes who used all his experience to round the goal keeper and walk the ball into the net to finish the days scoring.

Chairman Martin McLoughlin presents Neil Mullen with his Man of the Match Award sponsored by Hughes BET.
Chairman Martin McLoughlin presents Neil Mullen with his Man of the Match Award sponsored by Hughes BET.

In all a satisfactory performance from Newry and manager Darren Mullen who now set their sights on next Saturdays home league match against Banbridge Town “It was a game we made hard work of and ended up making it a lot more difficult than it should have been. We could have been two up in the first few minutes and that wastefulness in front of goal continued throughout the game. We struggled to get any great rhythm in our play which was partly down to the amount of changes I made from the previous week’s team. That said with the big squad that we have its up to the players to take their chance when they get it. Young Tiarnan Rushe was lively on his full debut and scored a terrific goal which I’m sure won’t be his last for the club. Whilst we know we can play a lot better that’s four wins out of our first five games and we now have a home tie in the quarter final. We have four home games in a row so we will be aiming to continue our good start to the season.’

Newry City Team: Peter Murphy, Kevin McArdle, Jordan King, Neil Mullen, Conor McCaul, Decky Carville, Marty Havern, Paudie Smith, Sean McMullan, Tiarnan Rushe, & Stephen McCabe. Subs: Keith Johnston, Graeme Edgar, Mark Hughes, Mark Patton, & Mark McCabe.

Photograph Courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.

Mid Ulster Cup venue change

Please note that the Mid Ulster Cup Round 1 tie against Glenavon has been switched from Mourneview Park to The Showgrounds, as Mourneview Park is hosting an U17 International 24 hours earlier.

The game will take place at The Newry Showgrounds on Tuesday, 20th September. Kick Off 7.45pm.

 

NCAFC Launch New Strip

Newry City AFC would like to thank the main sponsors of our new strips for the 2016/17 season.

 

We are very grateful for the continuous support we receive from the Canal Court Hotel, Around a Pound, Clanrye Taxis, Newmay Electrical Services & Peak Electric.

Along with our many other sponsors listed in the following link https://newrycityafc.co.uk/sponsors/ .

 

The new strips will be available to order shortly, if interested please send a message to the club facebook page or email laura@newrycityafc.co.uk or gary@newrycityafc.co.uk.

 

Main header picture; Newry players Chris McMahon, Jimmy Walker & Manager Darren Mullen, representatives from Canal Court Hotel, Cathy Mallie from Clanrye Taxis and Damien O’Hare from Around a Pound.

Photographs courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.

 

Three points for City

Newry City quickly bounced back from Tuesdays League Cup exit with an emphatic win away to Lisburn Distillery. Newly promoted to the Premier Intermediate League early fixtures were always going to be a learning period for both the Newry players and manager Darren Mullen and having now secured maximum points from their first two league games the Newry boys will be content with the start they have made “Our first game away was always going to be a test so it was pleasing to come away with three points. We were well worth our win and the score line certainly doesn’t flatter us. We could have been two up after ten minutes and the only criticism I have of the first half performance is that we were wasteful in the final third.

“The 2nd half was a lot better with our pace and fitness evident. To have four different scorers was also good and shows that we have a threat throughout the team. This was a good physical test for us and one that we’re well capable of handling with some strong challenges throughout the game. It’s a good start for us but we need to continue to work hard in every single game we play and that will need to be the case in our next game in the cup at home to St Marys on Friday night”

Photograph courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.
Photograph courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.

On top in the early play Newry could have gone ahead in the first minute, Mark Hughes and Keith Johnson exchanging passes, unfortunately the return ball a little behind Hughes preventing him from getting the necessary power on his shot to beat Jack McCrea in the Lisburn goal.

Newry’s opening goal came after ten minutes when Conor McCaul was bundled over on the edge of the box, referee Dillon awarding a penalty to Newry which Jimmy Walker placed inside McCrea’s post for his second converted penalty in as many games. Newry were much the better team all over the park but playing against a strong breeze they struggled to create many clear cut chances although Kevin McArdle started and almost finished an opportunity on the half hour mark, winning a strong challenge inside his own half before launching an attack which ended with him receiving the ball from Walker in the Lisburn box alas finding the side netting with his low shot.

The home side had chances of their own, Jonny McCaw going close with a glancing header and then the final chance of the half also going to the home side, Timmy Clarke finding Alan McMurty who for a moment appeared to be through on goal only for Neil Mullen to snuff out the threat with a perfectly timed block.

Newry doubled their lead straight after the break, Johnston finding Hughes inside the box, Hughes showing quick feet to skip inside two Lisburn players before firing in a shot which McCrea could only parry, the alert Mark McCabe presented with the simple task of planting the ball into the net to put Newry 2-0 ahead.

In response Lisburn had little to offer, Ian Curran and Neil Mullen comfortably dealing with anything which came their way.

Newry’s 3rd goal duly came short of the hour mark, Hughes spotting the chance to take a short corner to Walker. In turn Walker spotted the run of Johnston to the near post and glided the perfect ball into his path, Johnston using the pace on the cross to flick the ball with the outside of his boot across McCrea and into the far side of the net for a picture goal.

Photograph courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.
Photograph courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.

On 70 minutes the home side were reduced to ten men when Walker picked the ball up inside his own half and played the ball into space for Johnston to race away from the Lisburn defenders only to be cruelly chopped down by Stephen Curley who, although already booked for an earlier challenge, was shown a straight red by the referee Dillon.

The visitors came close to making it four with five minutes left, Paudie Smith swung a cross into the box for which McCabe rose higher than goalkeeper McCrea but was unfortunate to see his header drop over the crossbar. Newry were not to be denied that 4th goal, Chris McMahon picking the ball up inside the Lisburn half before setting out on a mazy run in which he beat half a dozen players almost creating a goal for himself only for his shot from inside the box to be blocked for a corner. That corner however led to goal number four, Ian Curran meeting Decky Carville’s cross with a powerful downward header which gave McCrea no chance.

What will annoy the Newry management will be that their team, for the second league game in a row, conceded a late goal. This time Aaron Harris popping up in injury time for a consolation goal for the home side. That though takes little away from a solid performance from the Newry boys which sets them up for Friday night’s Bob Radcliffe cup tie under the lights at The Showgrounds with St Mary’s the opponents, kick off 7:45pm.

Newry City Team: Peter Murphy, Kevin McArdle, Conor McCaul, Neil Mullen, Ian Curran, Chris McMahon, James Walker, Mark Patton, Keith Johnston, Mark McCabe, Mark Hughes. Subs: Declan Carville, Padraig Smith, Sean McMullan, Stephen McCabe, Tiernan Rushe.

Photographs courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.