Newry City manager Darren Mullen dedicates Mid-Ulster success to the fans

Goals from James Teelan and Thomas Lockhart secured a 16th Mid-Ulster crown for Newry as they defeated Dungannon Swifts 2-0 at Stangmore Park on Tuesday evening.

It’s a first for Mullen, who has been in charge for over a decade, after a couple of near misses and he was delighted to be able to give the supporters something to cheer about.

"They have been brilliant for us,” he said. “They were terrific from start to finish.

"It's easy to support when you're winning but it's more difficult when you're losing. We've been on a tough run but they have stuck by us.

"You very rarely get grief from those that keep singing away and last night was a great reward for them. They came down in their numbers and thankfully we got the win for them."

It feels like Newry are starting to build some momentum after enduring a tough period in the Danske Bank Premiership, which resulted in seven losses in a row while also being dumped out of the Irish Cup by H&W Welders.

They’ve now picked up consecutive league draws against Ballymena United and Larne – their first point against a top-six side this season – and following the cup triumph, have kept three clean sheets in a row.

"We had a really low performance and got punished against Harland and Wolff - that was a really low point of the season,” added Mullen.

"We had a chat after with the players and told them the level wasn't acceptable and it wouldn't keep us in the league.

"From then, there's a realisation that we need to work harder and we did that against Coleraine, Crusaders and Glentoran. We played really well in those games and should have got something out of them, but didn't.

"The point away to Ballymena was great on the road and then the Larne game was big for us to get a point against a top six team.

"We took that confidence into last night and defended really well. That's three clean sheets in a row. You have to make sure you're not conceding to give yourself a chance.

"We're defending well as a group at the minute and it's important that continues. The minute you stop working hard at this level of football you'll get punished."

Next up is Friday’s home league encounter with Carrick Rangers, who Newry defeated 4-1 in November.

Mullen is determined to keep looking up the table rather than checking over their shoulders at the relegation fight.

"We're looking upwards,” he said. “We can't be looking over our shoulders and seeing what Portadown and Dungannon are doing.

"We need to make sure we are picking up our own points and looking up and that's the mentality we will have until the end of the season.

"We want to pick up points against whoever we are playing and hope that's enough to make us stay in the division."