Darren Mullen Newry City v Ballyclare Comrades post-match

We spoke to Darren Mullen this afternoon following Newry City’s 2-2 draw with Ballyclare Comrades. The game was his 400th as manager of the club.

Transcript

00:00Darrington, 2-0 draw today, how do you reflect on the game?

00:03Started really well, good goal finish from Ryan and then you're hoping to push on.

00:09Poor defending for both goals, you expect better in those situations and we didn't deal with it in the right manner.

00:17Got badly punished for it and then we get ourselves back into the game.

00:21Half time it's just a case of making sure we don't make the same mistakes.

00:26A few tactical tweaks and then you're playing with the wind in the second half.

00:30It was tough enough playing against the wind in the first half but we didn't really come out.

00:35For whatever reason we looked a bit disjointed, didn't play overly well, didn't create an awful lot.

00:41It's probably the end of the game, draw with the first half.

00:43Totalling up the average age of the squad today was 21.

00:47You have a lot of young players being thrown in the deep end don't you here in terms of this relegation fight?

00:51We do, you take Moaner, Injun and Ryan out of it.

00:55There's a massive amount of experience in that back line but it's up to us to step up.

01:02In fairness I thought after we conceded those two goals that the lads drew into the game and limited them to very little.

01:10People can look at it as a situation that we haven't taken advantage of but we're still in the hunt.

01:19Nothing really changes for me.

01:21A lot of it is probably going to come down to that game against Newington but we can't look to that.

01:25We have Armagh to deal with next week so just focus on that.

01:29It's two games into the split, 1-1 last one.

01:32We haven't been beaten in it so we have to take the positives.

01:35Just on that game against Armagh next week, the message doesn't change at all does it?

01:39No it doesn't.

01:40We want to win every game.

01:42We didn't do enough today probably to win the game but we need to do better.

01:47Next week we have a few bodies back.

01:48We have three lads at Manchester and then four aces.

01:51That's four big players that will be back for next week.

01:54It's probably the first time we have a full squad since they came back in.

01:58Plenty of bodies to choose from.

02:00Again, no excuses.

02:02We knew what we had to do in this split.

02:05Still well within it so we'll just see how things go.

02:08On a personal note, your 400th game for New York City today.

02:12A big honour.

02:13It was alright.

02:14It's hard to believe.

02:15It was the 400th game.

02:16You think back to the first game back in Intermediate B.

02:20It seems like a lifetime ago.

02:22It's been an honour for me to manage this club for one game to remain 400.

02:27It's nice for the club to recognise it today.

02:30I'll enjoy a drink tonight and celebrate.