Newry ease past Seapatrick!

For the second time this season Newry City beat Seapatrick 4-0, the latest win coming on Saturday at Havelock Park when with another solid performance Newry made it six wins in a row as they progressed into the last eight of the Mid Ulster Premier Cup.

Although on top from the kick off it took Newry until the 20th minute to create a goal scoring chance, Mark Lowry firing a snapshot wide having been set up by Mark Patton. Lowry made amends on the half hour mark to open the scoring.  Aarron Brilly found Jimmy Walker with a quick throw in. Walker made ground to the edge of the area before firing in a low shot which Paul McGrath in the Seapatrick goal could not hold, the speedy Lowry the first to react to the loose ball which he tapped into the empty net.

Seapatrick had a great chance to equalize minutes later when McBurney nodded on a long ball which McEvoy latched onto for a clear run on the Newry goal. With Peter Murphy advancing from his line McEvoy chose to shoot from outside the box forcing Murphy to dive full length to his left to deflect the ball around the post for a spectacular save.

Newrys reply was decisive. Playing with the aid of a strong wind Walker whipped in a corner which centre back Paul Donegan met at the front post to head his second goal in successive games. And Walker almost wrapped the game up on the stroke of half time when his wind assisted free kick from 30 yards out was tipped over the bar by McGrath.

Five minutes into the second half Murphy had to come to Newrys rescue once more when a defensive lapse gave McBurney an opening inside the Newry six yard box, Murphy producing an excellent reaction save to maintain the Newry lead.

Newry got their third goal on 65 minutes. Chris McMahon won the ball in a tackle inside his own half and made ground before sliding a pass between the Seapatrick central defenders. Patton had work to do but the big man showed determination first to win the race for the ball and then had the composure to draw the Seapatrick keeper from his line before shooting across him and into the far corner of the net to put Newry 3-0 up.

And the big striker wasn’t finished yet as he scored a very similar goal for number four to finish the game. This time Graeme Edgar drilled a low pass from inside his own half which Patton latched onto midway inside the Seapatrick half. Again he left his markers for dead as he bore down on McGrath, this time choosing to deftly take the ball round the keeper before planting his shot to the back of the net to make the final score 4-0 to Newry.

Newry manager Darren Mullen was clearly content with his team after the match “I told the players that we need to continue winning, whether it’s a cup or league game and that’s exactly what we did. We were very rarely troubled and when they did get through Peter made two very good saves. Winning becomes a habit and the players are all working hard to keep their place in the squad. Mark Patton came in today and scored two after Sean McMullan got a hat trick during the week, so it gives us a good selection head ache which is replicated right through the team. We are back in league action next week against the same opposition as today and we will again work hard and take nothing for granted”

Newry City AFC: Murphy, Crilly, Edgar, Donegan, Moan, Kearns, McMahon, Walker, Brilly, Patton, Lowry Subs: McMullan, Durnin, O’Connor.

Newrys next game will be a Mid Ulster League fixture at the Showgrounds on Saturday 25th October against Seapatrick kick off 2:15pm. Newry will then travel on Tuesday 28th October to Holm Park in Armagh for a Mid Ulster Cup fixture against Armagh City Kick Off 7:45pm

Photograph courtesy of Brendan Monaghan Photography.