Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NEWRY LEAP THE ARDSMEN
NEWRY CITY leapfrogged Ards at the bottom of the table after they won 4-2 at Warrenpoint in yesterday’s late kick-off.
Ards had earlier drawn 1-1 with Glentoran to briefly occupy 11th spot but Newry – thanks to goals from Karl Moody, Darragh Noonan and John Boyle (2) – saw off their nine-man derby rivals.
Josh Lynch and Danny Wallace replied for Town who also had Sean Foster and Hermany Marques sent off.
Michael McLellan gave Ards the lead against the Glens but Robbie McDaid (inset) grabbed a leveller for the East Belfast men. The home side had Johnny Taylor dismissed.
In the other game, Dungannon beat Institute 2-1 at Stangmore Park.
On a day of high expectation in South Belfast, the game itself was more damp squib than firecracker but it mattered little as the Blues celebrated a 53rd Gibson Cup.
David Healy’s men could even afford to see Jordan Stewart miss a second half penalty as the biggest prize in local football returned to Windsor.
What a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the Blues who ended last season trophyless and without European football for the first time in 15 years.
But 12 months later Healy was all smiles on the final whistle as he won the second league title of his three and a half year reign.
He said: “The players have delivered, they deserve all the credit and I’m immensely proud of them. Some of the criticisms we received last season were wrong and we have proved the doubters wrong.”
In truth, the Gibson