Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Feeney: It is just the beginning!
NEW Ards boss Warren Feeney believes the great escape is on – but admits his boys face another eight cup finals if they are stay in the top flight.
The former Northern Ireland striker got his tenure off to the best possible start as the North Down club claimed their first win of 2019 with a vital three points against fellow strugglers Newry City at the Bangor Fuels Arena.
It not only lifted Ards off the bottom of the table, but dumped the border team into the automatic relegation slot on goal difference. A Mark Kelly double and booming header from Damien Mcnulty gave the home faithful something to cheer, while Ger Pender had pulled it back to 2-1.
A beaming Feeney said: “It’s nice to get a win and it’s nice to be off the bottom of the table, but I’m under no illusions, we have an enormous amount of work up ahead.
“I worked the boys really hard leading up to the game and, to be fair to them, they responded. There was a good buzz about the place and I had a good feeling about this one.
“There are eight games left, so we will continue to train with intensity to get the best out of the players.
“We didn’t have the ball for long spells, but I can live with that as long as they work hard and close down. I’m delighted for the supporters.
”It’s been a rough few months for them, but they came out to give the boys their backing. Hopefully, they will stick with us for the next eight games.”