Institute pick up big win against Newington to keep promotion hopes alive

NIFL Championship

Institute 2

Newington 0

Institute picked up a big win against Newington at the Brandywell to keep their promotion hopes alive.

It wasn’t a classic, but at the business end of the season, it doesn’t have to be.

Three points and a clean sheet acquired, the ‘Stute’s promotion push marches on, even if it wasn’t pretty.

Kevin Deery knows his team will have to play better than this in the crucial weeks to come, but given the fact that Newington had won at the Brandywell so convincingly earlier this season, he will take many positives from this display.

It was a victory borne of grit and determination, and when Mikhail Kennedy steered in the crucial second goal four minutes from time, the relief was palpable. It crowned a terrific display from the front man and sealed a massive three points.

It was a slow start from the home side with Newington seeing most of the ball in the early stages, but that possession failed to deliver any serious threat from the away side going forward.

It was frailties at the back also that would prove costly, as ‘Stute were handed the initiative after seventeen minutes when Sean Carlin took advantage of some slack defending from the visitors to send in a low cross from the right, and Michael Harris was on hand to fire home from close range.

It was a goal that seemed to spring ‘Stute into life after that quiet opening, and it was almost two soon after when Jamie Dunne came within a whisker as he headed just wide of the goal.

The home side were proving to be a real threat from wide areas as Carlin and Harris combined well down the left to present an opportunity for Oisin Devlin, who fired over in what was now becoming an onslaught on the Newington goal.

Newington had shown nothing as an attacking threat in the first half, but a set piece almost opened the door right on half time when Ruaidhri Donnelly superb effort from a free kick sailed just past the post.

It was a moment that seemed to give them some encouragement as they came out the much stronger of the two sides in the second half, in what would prove to be a forty five minutes of perseverance for ‘Stute.

The first scare arrived when substitute Peter McKiernan did well to create space down the left hand side, and his low cross into the penalty area was mere inches away from being converted by Donnelly.

The Newington reshuffle at half time was having an effect as their threat continued going forward, coming close again when Paul Donnelly headed just over after a fine cross from Jack Reilly.

The anxiety was growing on the pitch, and in the stands as it seemed only a matter of time before the visitors found a breakthrough, but ‘Stute were left off the hook once more when Donnelly fired wide inside the penalty box in what was a frustrating afternoon for the forward.

With the clock ticking down and chance after chance passing Newington by, it seemed inevitable what would happen at the other end, and that proved to be the case when a ‘Stute free kick from the left hand side found the feet of Kennedy just yards from goal, and the rest was easy as he made no mistake to finally secure the three points.

Another step towards promotion secured, Deery and his players can now turn their attention to the small matter of Linfield in the Irish Cup.

Institute: Gareth Muldoon; Caoimhin Porter; Daniel Lafferty; Shaun Leppard; Oisin Devlin; Liam Mullan; Jamie Dunne; Dylan King; Sean Carlin; Michael Harris; Mikhail Kennedy 

Subs: Fintan Doherty, Orrin McLaughlin; BJ Banda; Cormac Burke; Tiarnan McKinney; Shane Boyle 

Newington: Dean Smyth; Tiernan McAuley; Aodhfionn Casey; Richard Gowdy; Darren Stuart; Patrick Downey; Kevin Bradley; Caolan McBride; Jack Reilly; Joshua Diver; Ruaidhri Donnelly 

Subs: Marc Maybin; Neil Cummings; Paul Donnelly; Tiarnan McNicholl; Robbie Morrow; Peter McKiernan; Seamus Duffy