King and Newell find the net as Newry City see off Knockbreda at home

Goals from Darren King and Lee Newell powered Newry City to a 2-1 win over Knockbreda at The Showgrounds tonight.

Newry City dominated the opening half but found themselves level at the break. Knockbreda then had the better of the chances after half-time, but Newry were more clinical, with Newell netting the winner on 74 minutes.

Stuart King’s side got off to a perfect start when club legend Darren King got on the end of a dangerous low free kick from Jack Chambers and applied the finish to beat Owen Sames from close range.

Knockbreda’s first chance came when Conall Curran’s header beat the goalkeeper, but Jamie Rea was in the right place at the right time to clear off the line.

Newry continued to threaten from set pieces and twice came close to adding to their lead. First, Matthew Rendina headed just over from a Chambers corner, before King looked certain to add a second goal when he connected from a Georgie Poynton corner, but his header hit his own teammate Keith Dalton and stayed out.

Down the other end Knockbreda went, and against the run of play they equalised in bizarre circumstances. Rea and his goalkeeper Jason Craughwell got into a mix-up in their own box and gifted the visitors a golden chance. Curran’s initial effort was blocked superbly by Stephen Moan, but Curtis Giltrap made no mistakes on the rebound and blasted into the roof of the net.

Newry responded well though, and had two more chances from corners. On another night Darren King could have had a first half hat trick with the chances he had, but on this occasion his header flew wide of the back post. Then, Lee Newell must have thought he had scored when he connected with a Poytnon corner, but his shot was blocked on the line by a Knockbreda defender.

Dalton had the next attempt with a speculative shot from the left wing which was saved by Sames, before Scott McCullough played Charlie McGrath on goal. The teenager beat Sames with the shot, but also beat the post, seeing his effort drift just wide.

Despite the home side’s dominance, they almost went 2-1 down before the break. However, Craughwell was on hand to make a spectacular save and prevent Jay Boyd’s looping header from finding the net.

Knockbreda had the first chance of the second half when Giltrap met a whipped free kick and looked set to apply the finish from close range, but once again Craughwell pulled off an exceptional save.

The next chance also fell to Giltrap, this time from 20 yards out but his shot went inches wide of the post.

Newry didn’t reach the same level of performance in the second half as they had in the first, but 16 minutes from time they retook the lead. Rea superbly flicked the ball over Cormac Lawlor’s head and delivered a low cross for Aaron Donnelly. Donnelly couldn’t quite reach it but the goalkeeper spilled the ball and Newell was in the right place to slot home.

Knockbreda answered back with two chances of their own. First, Ashton McDermott saw his outside-the-box shot blocked by Stephen Moan, before Joel Given’s half-volley was turned behind by a collection of Newry defenders.

Craughwell was called into action again when Jay Boyd tried his luck from 20 yards out and stung his fingertips, but the shot stopper was able to push the powerful shot onto the bar and over.

That was the final chance of the game and title-chasing Newry held on for what could be an important three points.

MATCH STATS

Newry City: Jason Craughwell, Darren King, Matthew Rendina, Jamie Rea, Jack Chambers (Evan McEnteggart 86), Lee Newell, Stephen Moan, Keith Dalton (Alex Eakin 90+5), Scott McCullough (Cillian Kavanagh 64), Georgie Poynton, Charlie McGrath (Aaron Donnelly 64).

Unused subs: Reece McKeown, Jordan King, Jamie O’Flaherty.

Knockbreda: Owen Sames, Cormac Lawlor, Lewis English, Peter McDermott, Ashton McDermott (Christopher McAuley 86), Conall Curran (Tom Patchett 81), Jay Boyd, Ethan Irwin (Ruairi Wright 86), Louis Blackstock (Ronan Kalla 86), Joel Given, Curtis Giltrap.

Unused subs: Dylan Braik, Adam Irwin, Josh Douglas.

Referee: Ciaran Cole.