David Cushley on target as Crusaders join Linfield at top of table

The Crues took the lead after just six minutes as they dominated the opening exchanges.

The ball found its way to Cushley outside the box on the right-hand side and he picked his spot from 20 yards to curl an inch-perfect effort with his trusty left boot out of the reach of a full-length Andy Coleman and into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Stephen Baxter’s men were in total charge of the opening quarter of the game and they almost doubled their advantage a minute before the quarter hour when Paul Heatley’s left foot volley whistled past the City post from the left side of the area.

Jordan Owens then went close as he got the better of his man on 16 minutes but couldn’t direct his header from a Cushley corner on target as it sailed over the crossbar.

The game went into something of a lull after that with City content to try and hit the Crues on the counter-attack with the visitors unable to find a way through at the other end.

However, as the first half entered its final stages, Newry began to gain some confidence and gradually worked their way further forward.

However, they closest they came to a chance on goal was five minutes before the break when Darren King’s cross from the right was completely missed by Crusaders keeper Gerard Doherty with Stefan Lavery waiting to pounce before the ball was eventually cleared.

In fact, it was Cushley who came closest to making it 2-0 when he cracked in a 25-yard drive that was only held by Coleman at the second attempt a minute into stoppage time.

Despite City beginning the second half the brighter of the two sides, it was the Crues who had the first attempt in anger 10 minutes in with Jordan Forsythe’s shot from distance going just over the crossbar.

They went even closer three minutes later when Rodney Brown curled in a free-kick that was knocked down by Jordan Owens and into the path of Cushley, but his left foot shot from 15 yards was excellently blocked by Noel Healy onto the base of the left-hand post and out for a corner.

Newry went close 11 minutes from time when Thomas McCann tried his luck from 25 yards, but his effort was always moving away from goal and wide of the post as Darren Mullen’s men couldn’t force an equaliser.

Newry City AFC: Coleman, King, Healy, Noonan, Boyle, McCann, Montgomery (Moody 71), Walker, Lavery (M Hughes 66), S Hughes (Delaney 84), Teggart

Subs not used: Maguire, Mooney, Rushe, Durnin

Crusaders: Doherty, Burns, Brown, Coates, K Owens, Lowry, Forsythe (Snoddy 71), Rory Hale (Caddell 71), Heatley, K Owens, Cushley (Clarke 90+1)

Subs not used: O’Neill, McGinley, Patterson, Ronan Hale

Referee: Shane Andrews