Needing just two points from their final two league games to secure the Intermediate League a title Newry City rammed home their superiority as the best team in the division by winning both games to secure the league with points to spare and in the process score 101 goals.

For the first of these two games the Newry boys travelled to Broomhill for a midweek fixture. With the home side languishing near the bottom of the table Newry would have been confident that they would get the necessary points all in one go and that looked very likely to happen when Neil Mullen volleyed a Jimmy Walker corner into the Broomhill net after only five minutes. However despite dominating possession it took the Newry boys almost another half hour before all nerves were settled with a second goal from their best player on the day, Jimmy Walker, a trade mark free kick from the edge of the box curled up and over the wall giving Sammy Allen in the Broomhill nets little chance. The home side almost got back in the game on 35 minutes when a long ball caught the Newry defence out leaving Jason Dickson with a clear sight of goal. Fortunately Peter Murphy was on hand to bail out his defence, quickly off his line forcing Dickson to rush his shot which sailed harmlessly wide. Newry were clinical in their reply. A passing movement which started in their own half with Kevin McArdle, shifted to Walker inside the Broomhill half he in turn picked out Sean McMullan on the edge of the box. With the deftest of flicks McMullan helped the ball to Stephen McCabe who drilled a low shot across Allen hitting the base of the post on its way into the net.

With the points in the bag Newry turned on the style in the second half. Play had not long resumed when they made their first chance, Walker crossing to the near post where Thomas McCann stooped to head on goal Allen doing well to push his effort around the post. There was little he could do when Declan Carville headed home Walkers resultant corner, the ball hitting the top corner despite Allen getting his fingers to the ball. Minutes later and Kevin McArdle came close to grabbing a goal, set up by a mazy run along the by line from McCann, McArdle’s low snap shot saved by the legs of Allen. Goal number five was very similar to the preceding goal, Conor McCaul meeting a Walker corner with a bullet header, this time hitting the top corner without the assistance of the goal keeper’s finger tips. It’s strange that a centre forward who has scored 44 times could possibly find himself in any sort of goal drought. However going into this game Newrys prolific top scorer Sean McMullan had not scored in five games.

That was rectified on 70 minutes, Stephen McCabe easily beating his opposite number to get a low cross into the box where McMullan made space to place his shot past Allen for Newry’s sixth goal of the night. And so the points were Newry’s and although they could not keep a clean sheet, Andy McHugh grabbing a late consolation goal for Broomhill, that did little to dampen the joyous scenes which broke out on the final whistle which confirmed that Newry were Intermediate A Champions.

Newry City AFC: Murphy, McMahon, Mooney, Mullen, McCaul, McArdle, Walker, Carville, McMullan, McCann, McCabe. Subs: Edgar, Johnston, Grant, Lowry, Curran.

That result meant that Saturday’s fixture at Hanover, which for so long looked likely to determine who won the league, was now relatively meaningless. That however is not a philosophy to which Newry manager Darren Mullen subscribes and although he made seven changes to his starting 11 from Tuesdays match from the very start of the game it was clear that this was a game which Newry wanted to win, Mark Lowry out pacing his marker and pitching in a cross which Keith Johnston won but was unable to keep his header below the cross bar.

Hanover’s reply came quickly, Regan McIlveen getting behind the Newry defence after six minutes but faced with the advancing Peter Murphy attempted to lob the ball over the Newry keeper, his effort bouncing wide. On 10 minutes it was Andy Martins turn to keep the Newry goal intact getting back to block a shot from Justin Bradley who had beaten the Newry off side trap and looked poised to score but for Martins timely intervention.

For the next 20 minutes Newry dominated play with the forward line of Johnston, Grant and Lowry posing all sorts of problems for the Hanover defence, but for some crude tackles punished with yellow cards by the referee Newry would have had at least two clear goal scoring chances. The visitors did have the final chance of the half McCann tricking his way to the end line to cross for Grant to try an overhead volley which did not trouble Matthew Short in the Hanover net. With game scoreless at half time the home side gained the momentum soon after the restart.

The first blow to Newry came on 47 minutes when Chris Elliot tried his luck from 25 yards out, his shot across goal beating Murphy to nestle inside the far side netting to put Hanover a goal up. A bigger blow to Newry came after 60 minutes when the referee ruled that Murphy had handled a headed back pass from Ian Curran outside his penalty area immediately brandishing a straight red card to the Newry keeper which rules him out of this week’s Marshall Cup final.

Much to their credit Newry responded in a fashion which you would expect from champions. Almost straight from the resumption a Kevin McArdle free kick found Martin at the back post, the Newry youngsters header blocked on its way to goal. Chris McMahon replaced Murphy in nets and in that unfamiliar position he was to play a captains part. On 75 minutes Hanover broke free from a period of Newry passing and with an over load in attacking Hanover players it took a pair of reflex saves from McMahon to keep Newry in the game. On 80 minutes even better was to come from McMahon when Hanover were awarded a free kick just outside the box. With a make shift keeper it did appear to the travelling Newry support that Hanover had simply to hit the target to score. When the free kick was launched towards the top corner of the Newry net they would have feared the worst but that did not allow for McMahon who flung himself across goal to save.

This proved to inspire his team with Newry drawing level on 82 minutes. Attacking down the left wing the ball was cleared to the edge of the Hanover penalty area where Mark Lowry lay in wait to pick his spot bending his shot around a crowded penalty box and into the bottom corner of the Hanover net for Newry’s 100^th league goal of the season. Smelling victory Newry piled forward. Lowry had tortured his marker all day and once more skinned him down the right wing before crossing to McMullan who twisted to shoot and when his effort was blocked was first to react to the loose ball setting up Johnston, his shot taking a wicked deflection which tested the reflexes of Short to the full. Newry still had one more chance and this time that little bit of luck was with them. Decky Carville sprayed the ball wide to Johnston. He outpaced his marker and crossed into the box where McMullan’s first time shot hit the inside of the post, the ball falling perfectly for Jimmy Walker who was following up and was now perfectly placed to turn the rebound home from short range to seal victory for Newry.

Newry City AFC: Murphy, Edgar, Wilson, Curran. Martin, McMahon, McArdle, McCann, Grant, Johnston, Lowry, Subs: Carville, McMullan, Walker, McCabe McCaul.

Newry City’s next match is on Friday 13^th May when they play Valley Rangers in the Marshal Cup final, kick off at Banbridge Town FC at 7pm. Travel club bus leaves the Stonebridge at 6pm sharp, all are welcome.

Having sealed the league title Newry manager Darren Mullen was delighted with his team “It’s a great sense of relief to get over the line and I can’t praise this group of lads enough. The dedication and bond between the team is there for all to see and I’m delighted that they have got their just rewards. The Hanover game typified our season in that we refused to be beaten. Although it was meaningless in terms of the title we wanted to finish the league with a win. To do it in the manner we did was fitting. I made seven changes from the previous game to give all the players a chance to impress before the cup final.

We were by no means weakened by these changes and that shows the strength in our squad this season. Hanover have been our closest rivals all season and it took a super free kick to beat Murphy. After he was harshly sent off a lesser team would have just seen the game out but that is not our way and even with ten men we were the better team. No one can deny that we have been the best team in the division.

We will now focus on Friday night’s cup final and hopefully add another trophy to a terrific season”

Newry City completed a hat trick of wins for the season over Banbridge Rangers on Saturday with a victory which secures their place in the end of season Mid Ulster show piece Marshall Cup final. Before that the Newry boys will switch their sights to securing the league title on Tuesday night and will surely go into that game against Broomhill brimful of confidence with a league and cup treble now looking possible.

Fielding what was probably their strongest team of the season Banbridge Rangers started the game on the front foot but were unable to turn their early possession into a strike on goal. Indeed it was the home side who created the first chance, Jimmy Walker pitching a ball to the edge of the box which Sean McMullan chested down for Decky Carville to strike, his shot however rising from the moment it left his boot.

Danger to the Newry goal on 17 minutes when a deflection from a Newry player in the middle of the field saw the ball fall to Rangers centre forward Stephen Taggart loitering goal side of the Newry defenders. Fortunately for Newry Taggart was as surprised as anyone to get the ball which allowed Conor McCaul, who was carrying a knock from an earlier clash, to quickly recover the necessary ground to make a superbly timed tackle to clear the danger for a corner.

That earlier knock was to have further ramifications for Newry as without McCaul, who had to leave the field to receive treatment, the home side were unable to deal with the corner which was allowed to travel right across the face of the Newry goal to the back post where Jeff Brady turned the ball goalwards and despite the best efforts of Chris McMahon to prevent it from crossing the line any doubt that Brady’s effort had gone in was rendered immaterial when Mark Wilton stabbed the loose ball past Murphy to give Banbridge the lead.

With plenty of time on the clock the home side gradually got on top and created a number of chances before half time which on another day would have bore fruit. With 24 minutes gone Jimmy Walker blasted a free kick from the corner of the box which appeared destined for the far top corner only for a brave headed interception from Ryan Gregg. On 36 minutes McMullan saw the opportunity for a quick short corner allowing Walker time to find Carville at the back post, his sliding effort diverted wide.

Chances kept coming, with five minutes remaining McMahon pushed forward to play a low cross into the box which Mark Patton controlled before unselfishly setting up McMullan, the striker making room to get his shot away which beat Ivon Blevins but not William Frazer who covered behind his keeper to make a terrific clearance. Completely on top Newry simply didn’t want the half to end and had one more glorious chance before the break when Paddy Mooney crossed to the back post, Thomas McCann lobbed the ball back to the centre of the goal for Carville who looked set to score but couldn’t keep his header down, the ball slipping over the crossbar much to Banbridge Rangers relief.

As expected Newry dominated possession from the restart but found it difficult to create clear chances against a visiting team who appeared content to hold onto their single goal lead. With the half minutes old McMullan spread play wide to McCann who swung a dangerous ball across the box which beat everyone to go harmlessly wide. Newry continued to probe for an opening without success until the hour mark when McMullan was fouled on the edge of the box, perfect for a Walker strike on goal. As so often this season Walker found the target with his free kick which he bent up and over the wall, Blevins tipping his shot over with a fine diving save.

The home side grabbed an equalizer after 65 minutes in somewhat contentious circumstances. Beginning with a Walker corner on the right the ball bounced around the box and with the Newry fans shouting for a penalty when Neil Mullen was flattened, Carville nodded the ball down to Mark Patton and while Banbridge appealed for offside he blasted the ball to the roof of the net for a deserved equalizer for the Newry boys.

Minutes later and Newry had almost turned the game around, McMullan chasing a long pass to the end line where he feigned to cross but cut back inside the box which completely lost Ryan Gregg and now from an acute angle the league’s top scorer went for the near post but found Blevins up to the challenge, the keeper blocking his shot at the expense of a corner. Although restricted to attacking on the break the visitors still posed a threat and could have scored on 75 minutes when a crossed ball evaded the Newry defence, fortunately for the home side also beating the sole Rangers attacker.

On 80 minutes Thomas McCann won the ball in midfield, quickly found Carville who played a clever ball inside the full back for McCann to run onto, the move foiled by the alert Blevins who was quickly off his line to clear. At the other end Newry were saved by Peter Murphy who displayed terrific reactions to deflect a Brady volley from close range for a corner.

Newry manger Darren Mullen had the luxury of having four quality attacking players on the bench and it was a movement which involved two of these which finally won the game for Newry. With only two minutes remaining and play deep inside the Banbridge half Timmy Grant knocked the ball to Walker who played an instinctive lobbed ball over the Rangers defence for Stephen McCabe to use that burst of speed which he has always possessed to get to the ball first, McCabe the calmest man on the pitch as he lobbed the advancing Blevins, the ball taking one bounce as it entered the Banbridge net to give Newry the lead which they held to the final whistle setting up a final against Valley Rangers on Friday 13^th May at Crystal Park.

With Tuesday’s league game against Broomhill next on the agenda Newry manager Darren Mullen was delighted with Saturday’s performance ‘This was a really good cup tie which I knew was going to be a difficult game. From the first minute the tempo was high and we needed to be up for the challenge. Unfortunately some poor defending cost us before the half but I thought we finished the half stronger and looked the more likely to score. The message at half time was not to panic and that we had come from behind numerous times this season. We were the better side in the second half and knew if we were patient the goals would come.

Thankfully they did and we ran out deserving winners. Having the likes of Giggsy, Timmy and Lowry ready to come off the bench gives us real pace in attack and they are all a handful for any defence. We now have another cup final to look forward to in what will no doubt be another tough game but our focus now turns to Tuesday night. Hopefully our supporters will turn out in force in what is a massive game for us and a great opportunity to win another league title. Broomhill won’t make it easy for us but we are ready to face the challenge.’

This weekend, Newry were delighted to have a special guest as our Match day Mascot. Captain Chris McMahon, Niall Crilly & Sean McMullan first met Kaiden McAlinden at Christmas when they visited the Childrens Ward in Daisy Hill Hospital.

At only four years old Kaiden enjoyed his whole experience of being mascot, taking part in the team warm up while scoring a goal against Newrys number one Murphy, walking out on to the pitch with the team for kick off and even presented Conor McCaul with his Man of the Match Award. Kaiden was certainly up for the job!

 

The Newry City AFC Travel Club bus to Broomhill will be departing from the Stonebridge at 6pm sharp on Tuesday night. All are welcome.

Newry City AFC Team: Murphy, Mooney, McCaul, Mullen, McMahon, McCann, McArdle, Carville, Walker, Patton, McMullan. Subs: McCabe, Grant, Johnson, Lowry, Edgar.