Newry City boss Darren Mullen says recent winless run is 'difficult for me to watch' ahead of Annagh United encounter

It may only be November, but the need for Newry City to pick up three points increases each week, and tonight they have another chance to turn their season around with a home encounter against Annagh United.

The return of Darren Mullen to the managerial position after 18 months away gave Newry a badly-needed lift off the pitch, but on the pitch results haven’t quite been as good as Mullen would have hoped.

Newry have only won once from seven league games since Mullen’s return and are on a five-game winless run (and six in all competitions).

Last time out, they lost in controversial circumstances against Dundela, but Mullen admitted Newry’s problems run deeper than just blaming poor officiating and that he says that ‘it’s difficult to watch’ his side’s struggles.

“There is a part of it where you can blame the officials (for the loss against Dundela), but there is part of it where we need to realise that we just haven’t been good enough,” said the Newry boss.

“The officials haven’t cost us in every game.. If there is anybody out there who doesn’t realise it: this is a rebuild. This is a massive rebuild, which we have come in to fix.

“I put on the kids at the end, and if needs to be a rebuild with kids then I will do that. It’s just a matter of staying in this league, which is going to be tough going off of recent performances.

“To be honest, it’s difficult for me to watch because when I left, from the type of changing room with experience, hunger, desire, quality – it’s tough at the minute. But we can’t feel sorry for ourselves, especially me as manager, because if I feel sorry for myself, then that filters through.

“At this stage, the players are under no illusions of how difficult a situation we are in. There is only so much we can do as coaches; at some point in time, we’re going to need the players to step up.”