Ballymena is must-win for Newry City

Newry City 1 Newington 2

IF Newry are to avoid the drop from the Premiership then winning on Friday night when they take on Ballymena is a must.

City manager Barry Gray made it clear that survival is of utmost importance ahead of an extended Irish Cup run. Crumbs of comfort after losing to Championship side Newington on Saturday in what was a cup shock exit but that will be forgotten if Gray can pick up his first Premiership point since replacing Gary Boyle.

Darren Mullen worked wonders keeping City up last season and if Newry are to turn this season around then they need to beating the teams closest to them and pick up points where they can get them.

Newry are bottom of the Sports Direct Premiership table six points behind Ballymena United but with a game less played. So victory on Friday would leave only three points between the sides with a game in hand.

Dungannon Swifts are a place above the play-off spot, but 15 points adrift and picking up wins.

Newry's last Premiership win was against Ballymena on October 7 and they picked up two league points since, with draws against Crusaders and Carrick Rangers.

The games don't come much bigger than this, this season for Newry, it has to be spark that lights the flame. Of course there is plenty of games between now and May but Newry have languished bottom for much of the campaign and if they fail to overcome Ballymena, it's hard to see where else the points are going to come from.

However, pick up a result under the lights on Friday night and that will give hope and encouragement with games against Loughgall, Glentoran and Coleraine this month.

Gray has brought in former Warrenpoint Town captain Fra McCaffrey and he his a player that has plenty of offer the Premiership.

Players like captain Darren King, Liam Bagnall, Ryan McGivern, Jody McGovern, Noel Healy, Thomas Lockhart and Lorcan Forde, know what it takes with survival dogfights. Many of them did it last season and with Warrenpoint Town.

Gray will have the team organised and fired up and it is up to the players to deliver. A response will be expected from Saturday's shock defeat. It was a missed opportunity to reach the quarter-finals of the Irish Cup.

Played at the Showgrounds, Newry took the lead through Brandon Doyle, but fell behind when Newington debut boy Ruaidhri Donnelly bagged a brace in what was lacklustre display by City.

Gray this week commences a six-match touchline ban imposed by the Irish FA for comments he made about a referee.

City play Ballymena on Friday (February 9) in Newry Showgrounds at 7.45pm, while the game will also been shown on BBC Sport NI.

NEWRY: Mitchell, King (Scullion 87'), Healy, McGivern, McKeown, J McGovern, Salley, Bagnall, Poynton, McDonagh (Carroll 65'), Doyle (P McGovern 87'). Unused subs: Maguire, Lockhart, Forde, Mooney.

NEWINGTON: Maybin, McAuley, Casey, Hughes, Gowdy, P Donnelly (McNicholl 90'), Stuart (McKiernan 87'), Downey (Rice 77'), Reilly, Diver, R Donnelly (Cummings 90'). Unused subs: Smyth, Morrow, Duffy.

Referee: Shane Andrews (Comber)