TEN MAN SKY BLUES CLING ON FOR A POINT
Newry City and Ballymena United battled to a scoreless draw in a crucial meeting of the bottom two.
Both sides could have found a way through with just over a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock.
United's Noah Stewart attempted to find the net from a somewhat ambitious 40 yards only to send the ball just over while Lorcan Forde was only denied at the last moment by a timely Stephen McCullough tackle.
Sean O'Neill then came off his line to deal with the threat from Brian Healy, followed soon after by a Donal Rocks shot from range that Steven Maguire met with a good stop.
The visitors ended the first half on top as Isaac Westendorf saw an effort smothered by Maguire before Rocks had a go from distance again.
Westendorf then did take the ball past Maguire but was thwarted by a goalline clearance from Barney McKeown, and Westendorf threatened again before the break only to send the ball into the side netting.
A quiet start to the second half soon changed when United were reduced to ten men following Lewis Tennant's dismissal for a challenge on Adam Carroll.
From there Newry looked the more likely to find a way through, with Thomas Lockhart flashing an effort wide of the target from the edge of the box.
But they couldn't make their extra man count as time ticked down, although Carroll did come close in the dying embers of the game only to head over from a corner.
Newry City: Maguire, King, N. Healy, McGivern, McKeown, J. McGovern, Salley, Bagnall, B. Healy, Forde, Poynton subs O'Connor, Carroll, Lockhart, Moan, Newell, Mooney, P. McGovern
Ballymena United: O'Neill, Nelson, Rocks, Whiteside, Gawne, McCullough, Taylor, Tennant, Boyle, Stewart, Westendorf subs Johnston, Waide, McGrory, Murray, Crawford, Taylor, McMurray
Substitution 
Substitution 
