Important points at stake as Newry City host bottom-placed Newington at The Showgrounds tonight
Playr-Fit Championship. Friday February 7 (7.45pm): Newry City v Newington
Often times when previewing a game, some hyperbole is needed to emphasise its importance. For Newry City and Newington’s meeting tonight, one look at the league table is all that’s needed.
Newry City sit eleventh – one spot above the automatic relegation zone – with 21 points on the board after 26 games. Occupying the spot below them in the table is Newington, who have three less points on the board, but two games in hand.
The term ‘relegation six-pointer’ is probably overused, but this evening’s encounter fits the bill with only Ballinamallard United (24 points) and Institute (29 points) the other teams who look like slipping into a relegation fight.
When Darren Mullen arrived back at The Showgrounds in October, his task was clear: keep Newry in the league.
January was a busy month for the club with five new arrivals on loan – Jamie Doran, Lorcan Donnelly, Tommy Teggart, Ben Harvey and Casey Smyth, whilst Brian Healy was recalled from his loan spell at Ballyclare Comrades. Five players went out the door, namely Francis McCaffrey, Steven Ball, Adam Salley, Ciaran O’Connor and Seanna Foster.
Consequently, Mullen has assembled a squad which more closely resembles a team in his image. However, that leaves less room for excuses in the team’s final 12 league fixtures.
Their opponents Newington aren’t sitting on their hands either however, as they made one of the more eye-catching signings of the winter window in bringing Jay Donnelly to the club.
Donnelly joins on loan from Irish League giants Glentoran, having previously represented another ‘top dog’ in Cliftonville. He has scored 149 goals in 308 senior appearances throughout his career. Donnelly was most prolific for the Glens between 2020 and 2022, as he scored 42 goals across 60 league matches. But aged just 29, he figures to be a major problem for Championship defenders to handle in the coming months.
On the field of play, Newry City have had arguably their most impressive and least impressive displays of the season in their last two games. The Showgrounds crowd were brought to their feet by their side’s battling display in their 2-1 victory over league leaders Bangor three weeks ago. However, their defensive issues crept up once more in their most recent outing, as they were trounced 4-0 away to Annagh United.
Thankfully for Newry, Newington only have one win in their last seven games which has allowed Mullen’s men to stay off of the foot of the table, and whilst a win tonight will give them some more breathing room, defeat would see the sides go level on points heading into the final stretch of the season.