NIFL Championship
NEWRY City may be sitting pretty at the top of the NIFL Championship but manager Darren Mullen is convinced that, if recent results are anything to go by, the race for promotion to the Premiership will go right down to the wire.
Newry are six points clear of nearest challengers Ballinamallard United and Annagh United at the top of the Championship and were unbeaten in eight games until they lost their festive fixture at home to Ballyclare Comrades last Monday.
That defeat was followed up by a stalemate against Institute at the Brandywell on Saturday, with Daniel Hughes missing a penalty, and Mullen insists they are taking nothing for granted in their battle for a return to the top flight of the Irish League.
“We’re certainly in a good position but, then again, we’ve dropped five points in our last two games,” said Mullen.
“So we’re not getting carried away, there are still a lot of games to go before any prizes are handed out. I’m seriously not bluffing when I say that every game in this division is a tough game. Just look at our draw with Institute there at the weekend, they’re second from bottom in the table and we couldn’t break them down. It could go right to the wire.
“But the lads have all been playing brilliantly this season, even when we haven’t won games. Noel Healy at left-back, in particular, has been superb. He’s been around for about three or four years now and, for me, he’s the best left-back in the division.
“We’re hoping to add a few fresh faces this week if we can tidy a few things up with other clubs. There won’t be a multitude of new faces but enough to give us a bit of extra backbone in the squad.”
Mullen is in his ninth year at the helm of Newry and was in charge when they last won promotion to the Premiership in 2017-18, a promotion which was followed by immediate relegation. Consequently, the veteran building control surveyor knows all about the difficulties of laying solid foundations at this level.
“Getting promoted is easier said than done,” he added.
“It’s hard to get up to the Premiership, but it’s even harder to stay there. It’s a very difficult place to be and you can see the gap emerging now between the clubs who have gone full-time and the likes of Warrenpoint who are stuck around the bottom.
“In saying that, the last time we were up in the Premiership we lost something like 19 games by a margin on one goal. Our aim is to compete at that level and we’ve shown we can do that.”
Newry get a break from the pressures of league competition this weekend when they take on neighbours Warrenpoint Town in the first round of the Irish Cup, and Mullen says he is thrilled at the prospect.
“We call meetings between ourselves the Mourne Ultimatum down here,” he said.
“It’s a terrific draw and there should be a big crowd at it. Warrenpoint beat us in extra-time in the League Cup earlier in the season so we owe them one.
“We’ll give it a good rattle. Apart from anything else, it’s a good opportunity to gauge where we’re at against Premiership opposition.”
