Match Report: Newry Town 1st April 2000

        Saturdays match against Newry Town at Solitude on the 1st of April was another dismal defeat, but was no April Fool. In our second home match in succession in front of the Solitude crowd, we lost against the border town.  Not many supporters turned up for this game, which didn't have the passion and glamorous tie such as our previous tie against our Belfast rivals in the form of Linfield. 
          A spirited performance was played by the Reds, before slumping into a Glenn Ferguson goal in the 84th minute to deny the hard working Reds a share of the honours last Tuesday.  A win was a must against mid-table Newry Town, usually a tie that produces many goals! Though 24 minutes into the game, John O' Loughlin scored the first of his two of the afternoon.The Reds battled bravely, but not to the heights of Tuesdays' performance against the Blues and Newry's second of the game  was to give them all three points. 
          Next week we play Linfield at Winsor Park, a must win game, to ensure a breakaway from the clutches of relegation.  Ballymena and Lisburn Distillery are level on points with the Reds and we lead them by three progressive points. After the Linfield game, we play these two teams and Lisburn, being the latter which is the penultimate game of the season.  We have not won in 10 games and much greater and spirited effort is needed by the Reds in the end of season run-up.