Gary Boyle calls on Newry City to maintain high standards in BetMcLean League Cup quarter-final clash with Dungannon Swifts

While Boyle’s men remain bottom of the table, Saturday’s draw at Seaview helped them break a winless league run of seven matches.

They’ll now temporarily switch their focus to cup action with a semi-final spot against either defending champions Linfield or Larne up for grabs at Stangmore Park – a venue which they lost out 4-1 to the Swifts in a crucial league encounter last month.

Boyle will be buoyed by the fact they’ve already won twice on the road in this competition against H&W Welders and Carrick Rangers, while they’ve picked up 10 of their 11 league points away from home too.

Saturday’s point was a first against an established top-six team since drawing with Larne in January and Boyle admits his side can’t drop below the standard which has been set after a positive result.

"We try not to get too low with the lows, as hard as that may be, and we certainly won't be getting too high in the highs because it's one result,” he told the club’s media channel. “The standard has been set now for that togetherness, mental toughness and defending of our box.

"We can't fall flat on Tuesday night and the message has to be that now we've set these standards we can't dip below them.

"We took stock and I've certainly done a lot of soul searching over the last few weeks. We're looking for wee things to try and get more out of ourselves and the group.

"We changed it up last Tuesday night and I fundamentally believe it helped against Crusaders. We have to push forward now and keep with it. It's about that togetherness and mental toughness that against adversity we will bounce back.

"It's about reminding the players that everybody who laces up their boots or any coach who comes out to take a warm-up wants to be in our position and it's not Groundhog Day everyday. That's important in these bad runs.

"We're the envy of every other player, coach or supporter in the country that we're playing in the top-tier. We can't forget that and the players delivered on it (against Crusaders)."

With the two competition favourites playing each other in Linfield and Larne, it offers the likes of Newry and Dungannon a golden opportunity to secure meaningful progression in a major tournament.

"I think both teams when they seen the draw were probably licking their lips thinking they could get to the semi-final of what is a huge competition,” added Boyle. “We'll rest and recover first and foremost and see how the bodies are after what was a tough shift.

"The squad is being stretched and we'll see who is available, but we'll certainly be prepared to go and give a good account of ourselves at Dungannon, which we didn't do the last time.

"If we get the performance levels then I have no doubt results will take care of themselves with momentum going into what is a huge game on Friday night (against Ballymena United) and that's where we want to be."