Step Into Christmas

Newry City 6 Sport and Leisure Swifts 1
Grant 3, Hanaphy 2, Mallon - Gallagher

Newry comprehensively defeated Sport and Leisure Swifts in this rearranged 4th Round JJB Sports Irish Cup tie at the Showgrounds. Newry now face a trip to Banbridge in the 5th round in early January.

Newry made one change to the side which had lined out against Limavady in the last league game, with Don Tierney replacing the injured James Hand. Pat McGibbon's side displayed the right attitude from the outset which enabled them to earn the right to play their attacking football and ultimately run out as comfortable winners. 

Newry were on the front foot from the opening whistle and might have scored as early as the second minute.  Darren Freeman's corner was met by Darragh Hanaphy in front of goal but he misdirected his header wide of the goal. Brian Mallon then made space in the Swifts box, but visiting goalkeeper Damien Nugent advanced to save Mallon's effort with his feet. Newry, however, didn’t have to wait long for a breakthrough, which arrived on eight minutes. Hugh Dargan hesitated and was dispossessed by Darragh Hanaphy on the edge of the box and the Newry striker unleashed a cracking left foot drive that flew past Nugent and into the corner of the net.

With Newry maintaining the pressure on the Swifts, Stephen Hutchinson was inches away from meeting Paul Carvill's free kick, only to be denied by Noel Caldwell’s last ditch headed clearance. Then Nugent spilled Hanaphy’s shot from the edge of the box, but managed to block Timmy Grant’s follow up effort.

The visiting defence were struggling to cope with the pace and movement of Grant and Hanaphy and the latter was centrally involved in Newry’s second goal on sixteen minutes. Hanaphy held up the ball and turned on a sixpence to release Darren King on the right hand side of the box. The Newry captain’s cross was met by Brian Mallon who slotted home an easy finish.

Sport and Leisure were struggling to get out of their own half, not helped by their tendency to try and play out from the back. A poor clearance from keeper Nugent was miscontrolled by Darren Munster and Mallon was onto him in a flash. The Newry midfielder burst into the box, but mishit his cross which bounced off the bar and away to safety. Freeman and Grant both had efforts for Newry, before the visitors had their first effort on goal on twenty five minutes when Gerard McCabe’s shot from distance was easily gathered by the underemployed Gareth Buchanan. Kevin Duff then shot wide for the visitors before Newry resumed normal service with a series of efforts on the Swifts goal. First, Brian Mallon's free kick clipped the outside of the post, before Hanaphy had a shot saved by Nugent and Carvill shot wide when well placed. The tempo dropped as the half drew to a close and Newry's best effort saw Hanaphy outpace Caldwell but shoot straight at Nugent.

The second moiety saw Newry seeking a third goal to seal the tie and it came after only 8 minutes. Brian Mallon played in Timmy Grant and the striker finished well, dropping his shoulder to oblige Nugent to commit himself, before slotting home.

Newry were rampant and Darren King shot just wide before Hanaphy grabbed his second of the game on 56 minutes. Swifts full back Caldwell played a poor ball which was easily snaffled up by Mallon. He played in Grant who added insult to Caldwell’s injury by outpacing the veteran defender and crossing for Hanaphy to head home and put Newry four goals to the good.

Minutes later, Caldwell was beaten again by Carvill but his cross was cleared before the Swifts defender was belatedly booked after one of a number of hefty challenges and promptly substituted by his manager.

Mallon and Hanaphy both went close again as Newry cut through the Swifts defence at will. The impressive Hanaphy went even closer on 72 minutes when he was played clean through by strike partner Grant, but with only Nugent to beat, he shot just wide of the post.

As the game entered the closing stages, the visitors created a couple of chances of their own. The hard working Darren Gallagher found space on the edge of the Newry box, but was denied by the speedy Ruairi Devlin who made a fine blocking challenge. Swifts then went closer still when substitute Jamie Diamond headed just wide when unmarked at the back post. Newry, however, responded well with a free kick from substitute Stephen McCabe that crashed off the post and the alert Timmy Grant beat two of his team mates to the rebound and tapped in number five.

To their credit, Sport and Leisure didn’t let their heads drop and they pulled a goal back on 85 minutes. A quickly taken corner found John Donnan inside the box and he flicked on for Darren Gallagher who headed home a consolation strike. It was fitting, however, that Newry had the final word and on 90 minutes Darren King found Darragh Hanaphy inside the box. The striker did will to create space for the umpteenth time and he stood up a delightful ball to the back post where the lurking Timmy Grant headed home to complete his hat trick. The final whistle blew almost immediately with Newry comfortable 6-1 winners.

This was another fine team effort from Newry. The defence wasn't overly extended but was solid and sweeper Ruairi Devlin used his pace to good effect to sweep up anything that got past Donegan and Hutchinson. The hardworking midfield were dominant with Mallon winning plenty of good ball and Freeman driving his team on to good effect. And up front, Grant and Hanaphy's combination play gave the Swifts defenders a torrid afternoon. Grant outscored his colleague, but it was Hanaphy who really caught the eye with an excellent exhibition of how to lead the line.

Newry: Buchanan, King, Carvill (McCabe), Donegan, Hutchinson (Copeland), Devlin, Tierney (M Hughes), Freeman, Mallon, Grant, Hanaphy. Subs not used: S Hughes, Havern.
Newrycityfc.com Man of the Match: Darragh Hanaphy