We spoke to Newry City manager Darren Mullen after his side claimed an important win over Ballinamallard United this evening.
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00:00Darren, obviously crucial three points tonight, you must be pleased with the team's performance?
00:04Yeah, we knew it could be five cup finals basically, we'll try and keep our season alive.
00:09This is the first of them, we knew how important it was, it was a difficult game, we haven't had any easy games against Ballymallor this year.
00:15We played well without taking our chances, thankfully we didn't take our chances, we started the game really well.
00:19On the front foot, we pushed them, pressed them in, made them make mistakes, we thought we were excellent.
00:25After that it was just a matter of controlling it, thankfully we got the early one in the second half because it was important.
00:31Whoever got the next goal, they had a great chance just before the end of the first half.
00:36We were lucky in that regard, but I thought we were excellent.
00:40Two early goals, I'm sure coming into the game tonight, that must be really pleasing for you as manager,
00:44because I'm sure you're trying to gel players in and talk about the importance of the game.
00:48You can't get a better start than that, 3-0 up after about 15-16 minutes?
00:51We've had loads of chances in games and haven't taken them.
00:55I've said to the lads the other night, we must have saved them for the right moments and hopefully that's the case in the split.
01:01Two really good goals, a great delivery from Adam, a great header from Ryan and then a great break from Adam in there.
01:08I'm delighted for the lads, they've been working hard and sometimes you do need a wee bit of luck.
01:13It's not luck that has us down at the bottom of the league, we need to be a lot better than we have been.
01:18We just need to keep giving ourselves a fighting chance, we need to do that tonight.
01:22We just need to take it into the next game. Can't we just play well tonight?
01:26Not necessarily against Ballyclare, they know the importance of the next game.
01:30We need to take that performance into that.
01:32You mentioned Ballyclare's chance, Donnelly pulled off a super double save,
01:36but the defence as a unit, as a whole, kept a clean sheet tonight and really outside of that moment,
01:41Ballyclare didn't have a whole lot of chances did they?
01:43No they didn't, we wanted to make sure they weren't getting close into goal.
01:46They're a good football side, if you drop off too deep they're going to have that chance.
01:49We didn't, we pressed out in the right areas, made sure we didn't let them play,
01:53thought the midfield were excellent.
01:54As for the whole team, the energy throughout the team, we needed to bring that into the game.
01:58We needed that intensity, especially at home.
02:01We limited them to very little and we were worthy winners in the end.
02:05Results elsewhere, it's back in your own hands now, there's only a two point gap behind Newington.
02:10I suppose just with four games to go, is it a case of just trying to build as much points as you can
02:14and whatever else happens we'll take care of ourselves?
02:16Yeah, we can only look after ourselves.
02:18Obviously, you're looking at Newington's result and it does mean it's back in our own hands.
02:22It doesn't make it any easier, it's still the same.
02:24We still have to win the next four games to give ourselves a chance,
02:28but it just leaves it that wee bit easier.
02:30We'd have been disappointed tonight if we'd have known that they had it drawn and we hadn't capitalised.
02:33Thankfully we've done that.
02:34All we can do is look after ourselves.
02:36Whatever other teams do is outside our control.
02:39What is in control now is Ballyclare inside.
02:42It's probably just a case of picking up where you left off from tonight?
02:45It is, yeah.
02:46We're the same.
02:47If we play like that, we'll be hard to handle because we played really well tonight.
02:50That 3-0 scoreline certainly doesn't flatter us, but we need to take an end to it.
02:54We know Ballyclare had a good win tonight,
02:56but again, we just need to make sure we're doing what we're doing tonight.
02:59Take the positives out of it, take that intensity and that aggression that we had tonight into the game
03:04and the defensive capabilities that we showed tonight.
03:06We're more looking forward to it and hopefully we can get another big crowd down.