Ballyclare shock Newry for first win in 10 games

Ciaran Heggarty scored the only goal of the game at a foggy Showgrounds midway through the first half to record a first league win since October 16 for the south Antrim side and a first loss in a similar period for Darren Mullen’s charges.

Speaking to the Ballyclare Comrades media team following the game, manager Paul Harbinson said: “It’s been a long, hard road, and an awful lot of soul searching and working out what’s going on and why we are getting all these things going against us.

“When you’re in that poor run of form, anyone involved in football will know that’s just the way it is and you struggle to get out of it. It’s nice today to come away with a smile on my face for a change.”

The Comrades secured their first league win since beating Annagh United 4-1 over two months ago thanks to Ciaran Heggarty’s stunning 30-yard drive in the opening 45 minutes.

Praising the midfielder and his teammates, Harbinson added: “Gary Donnelly stole the ball to feed Ciaran who has worked across and hit a fantastic strike. That is football, it is literally fine margins.

“Their ‘keeper (Steven) Maguire is a fantastic goalkeeper. He has maybe found himself two steps too far forward and it has crept in over him and those are the margins that this last five or six weeks we haven’t been getting the benefit of, but today we did.

“We’ve come down here with a full belief that we can beat any team, but because of the run of form we’ve been in, and because confidence is low, boys in front of goal don’t want to take chances and take risks that they would when confidence is high, we’re coming down to the league leaders, who are absolutely flying and you could see that today and we had to try and concentrate really hard. Those fine margins in a wide open league, for anyone watching the league, they are bound to be entertained.

“I’m so glad we were able to put a smile on the faces of our supporters, finally. I hope they have all had a lovely Christmas together and they have a happy New Year and hopefully they are out in their droves at Dixon Park on New Year’s Day to see us get another three points.”

The Comrades welcome second-placed Annagh United to Dixon Park on Saturday (3pm). Annagh’s match with Loughgall, scheduled for December 27, was postponed in line with the NI Football League’s Covid Case Policy.

Looking ahead to this weekend’s tie, Paul explained: “They are flying. They are right up there in the mix. Their game with Loughgall is off. Does that mean they have had a bit of a longer break and they are rested better or does it mean they are out of practice more? You just don’t know with this league. We go in and we focus and fingers crossed we get another result.”

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