Newry City: Honours even as Robbie McDaid grabs Glentoran equaliser after Stephen Hughes effort

Stephen Hughes opened the scoring for City while Robbie McDaid levelled, with Mark McCabe hitting the post in the second half for the hosts.

Newry began the brighter of the two sides and were almost in on goal in the seventh minute. When the lively McCabe looked to be through on goal, he was brought down by Glentoran full debutant Gavin Peers around 25 yards out.

Referee Steven Gregg opted to book the experienced defender and, from the resultant free-kick, Mark Hughes’ ball to the back post found John Boyle but he headed wide from close range.

The Glens went even closer just 60 seconds later when Conor Pepper had space to crack in a low drive from outside the area that had City keeper Steven Maguire using every inch of his six-foot-plus frame to dive to his right and get a fingertip to it for a corner.

But the hosts broke the deadlock in the 10th minute, with a goal that was tidy in the build-up if a tad fortunate in the finish.

A diagonal ball from left to right saw McCabe outmuscle Marcus Kane before laying it back into the path of Mark Hughes 20 yards out. The Newry captain’s first-time effort was on target before taking a wicked deflection off brother Stephen to wrongfoot Glens keeper Dwayne Nelson and creep over the line.

While the visitors had plenty of the ball in the first half, they rarely troubled Maguire’s goal until a minute after the half-hour mark when they drew level.

A precision cross from the left flank landed perfectly on the head of McDaid and the in-form forward directed his header past a helpless Maguire to make it 1-1.

On 34 minutes, Newry threatened to regain their advantage when a Mark Hughes corner from the left found Declan Carville rising highest in the box but he couldn’t direct his header on target in a crowded penalty area.

Five minutes into the second period, Newry went even closer to going back in front when another Mark Hughes corner, this time from the right, was glanced goalwards by McCabe but, unfortunately for Darren Mullen’s side, the ball came back off the inside of the left post before being cleared.

Midway through the half, Nelson had to bed alert to push over a Thomas McCann volley from the edge of the box after another Hughes delivery had only been cleared as far as the midfielder.

Then, 20 minutes from time, a slick move from the visitors saw the ball find Lukas Gwiazda 16 yards out but his stinging drive was beaten out by Maguire.

Newry City AFC: Maguire, Mooney (Teggart, 87), Healy, Noonan, Boyle, McCann, Carville, S.Hughes, Pender (Moody, 78), McCabe, M.Hughes.

Subs (not used): Hunter, Rushe, Mullen, Cavalcante, Durnin.

Glentoran: Nelson, Kerr, Kane, Peers (Garrett, 81), Birney, C.Gallagher, Herron, Gwiazda, Pepper, Murray (O’Neill, 74), McDaid.

Subs (not used): Morris, McMahon, Henderson, McCarthy, S.Gallagher.

Referee: Steven Gregg.