Newry City manager Darren Mullen has confirmed Brian Healy will be recalled from his loan spell at Ballyclare Comrades in January and maintains full confidence they are “good enough to get ourselves out of this” after falling to Boxing Day defeat against Ballinamallard United.

Mullen’s men have only won one of their last 10 Championship matches and remain in 11th, sitting six points behind Ballinamallard, who also hold a game in hand, and just two in front of bottom team Newington after Ryan Morris struck late for Mark Stafford’s side at Ferney Park.

The return of Healy should provide a significant boost for Newry with the 20-year-old scoring 10 league goals for Ballyclare this term – only four players have managed more – and Mullen admits he’s continuing his search for further additions.

"Brian Healy is coming back,” he told the club’s media channel. “He has gone and done well up at Ballyclare and we've recalled him for his loan.

placeholder image — Newry City manager Darren Mullen. (Photo by INPHO/Declan Roughan)

"We need reinforcements up top so it made sense to bring him back so Brian will be coming back in the new year. I'm hoping to add in another three or four on top of that.

"I've had discussions with clubs about trying to bring players in but it's that knock-on effect that they need to get players in to allow those players to come to us. I'm hoping that happens over the next week.

"There's plenty of football left to be played and I know the fans are frustrated...as manager I'll take blame for any defeat.

"We haven't been clinical enough but it will change and at the danger of sounding like a broken record, I've seen enough to know we'll be good enough to get ourselves out of this."

Newry will host Armagh City, who defeated Annagh United 3-1, on Monday night before travelling to Carrick Rangers for an Irish Cup fifth round clash.

"I thought we deserved to get something out of it (Ballinamallard game),” added Mullen. “I thought we played really well in the first half and it was a good reaction to going down early by getting ourselves back into it.

"I thought maybe a draw was the least we deserved, but again we're getting caught out too many times.

"It's very frustrating but there's enough positives there. If I'm a fan listening to this I'd be thinking 'he's saying the same thing all the time' and I get that...there's nobody more annoyed than me, but if I thought we weren't up for this or ready then I'd say it.

"There is enough for me to take into Monday night. I said it was going to be tough...we have to fix it and the only way to do that is on the pitch."