‘We need to build on this win’ says Newry City boss Darren Mullen

Relegation-battling Newry City picked up a badly needed three points on Saturday, with a late Ryan McNickle penalty the difference in a 1-0 victory away to Ards.

City had been on a four-game losing streak heading into the weekend, but with Noel Healy returning to the line-up and the January transfer window right around the corner, there is hope for Newry fans that things could be turning in their team’s favour.​

‘We were worthy winners’

Newry boss Darren Mullen spoke to the club’s social media after the game and he said that his team were deserving of the three points.

“I nearly forgot what it was like to get a win,” he laughed.

“Between myself and Pep Guardiola [Manchester City manager] it has been a while. Last week, although we lost 3-0 I don’t think it was a fair reflection of the game and that there were decent parts of it where you could see what we were trying to do. This week, we just needed to build on that and we did.

“We’re getting bodies back, and we have people in their right positions and it makes a big difference. Over the last 11 games we have had to play players out of position. Even today we had to mix up the front three.

“But the message was keep working hard and a lot can change, and I thought today that we were very good in the first half, we played really well and caused them problems.

“In the second half, maybe not so much because they came into the game a wee bit more. But that’s where you just have to defend, and I thought we did that as a group really well.

“The work rate from [Lorcan] Forde up front to the whole way through the team was excellent, and we were worthy winners.”

‘They’re a good bunch of lads’

Mullen continued, praising the character of his side who didn’t let their heads drop when Ards were putting them under pressure.

“If you’re not playing well or things aren’t going well, just keep working hard,” said Mullen.

“We did need a little bit of luck somewhere along the way and I have said that before. Luck doesn’t land at your doorstep, you have to work hard for it and we did that.

“They are a good bunch of lads, which I have always said and it has been unfair on them because we haven’t had enough bodies. We have had to keep playing the same players and players are getting injured because of that. “We had Noel coming straight back in, we had Ryan McNickle brought on in a game where we probably didn’t want to have to use him, but he came on and scored the winner.

“It has been tough for the lads, but this is where we need that addition in terms of getting bodies in to help the lads that are there, because we do have some good players and they showed that today.

“I just think that we needed that wee bit of luck. Even at times today, the ball bounced right for us defensively when it hasn’t on other days.

“But we need to build on it. It’s a win which was badly needed and it was too long coming for my liking. But in fairness the lads have been good in training. We kept saying to the lads that things will change and you can sound like a broken record, but the players were in a good mood and it was a good day for us.”

Despite the win, Newry remain second from bottom in the Championship table.

However, their next two games are against ninth-placed Institute (December 21) and tenth-placed Ballinamallard United (December 26) which gives them an opportunity to build momentum and climb the league table if they can put together a run of form.

MATCH STATS

Ards: Alex Moore, Conor Maxwell, Ryan Arthur, Eamon Scannell (Ethan Simpson 70), Patrick Cafolla, Odhran McCart, Aidan Steele, Conor Scannell, Lee Newell, Mark Carson (Bobby Deane 86), Corai Quinn (Jay Dalzell 86).

Unused subs: Matthews, Max Greer, George Tipton, Kyle Calderwood.

Newry City: Conor Mitchell, Noel Healy, Ryan McGivern, Fra McCaffrey, Alex O'Brien, Adam Carroll, Seanna Foster, Lorcan Forde, Georgie Poynton (Charlie McGrath 80), Dulata Honney (Ryan McNickle 70), Evan McEnteggart.

Unused subs: Oisin McStay, Adam Salley, Lee Fallon, Adam Heaney, Adam Dorans.

Referee: Louise Thomspon.