Newry City hoping to put Glentoran hammering in their rear-view mirror today as they take on Coleraine

It’s another week, and another opportunity for Newry City to snap their winless streak when they host Coleraine this afternoon.

Their run of games without victory in the league is at 18 in a row, which began with a 2-0 defeat at home to today’s opposition, back on October 13.

Coleraine have underperformed their pre-season expectations, as they sit in sixth place in the table, just one point better off than Carrick Rangers and three better than Loughgall, but they are coming into today’s game off the back of their best result of the season – a 3-0 win at home to Linfield last week.

On the other hand, Newry come into today’s fixture off the back of their worst result of the season – an 8-2 walloping away to Glentoran.

After that result, manager Barry Gray was asked what the week ahead was going to look like leading into today’s game. Would he and his staff labour on the repeated defensive errors, or would it be a case of scrubbing the game from their collective memories and moving on.

“The next game is just the next game,” he said.

“We have nine games to play. So, one game is no good to us. We need to see more in every single one of those games moving forward, or else we're going down. Simple.

“I don't know if the players accept that is the case, or if they just want to sit inside and feel sorry for themselves, as if it is somebody else's doing.

“It's not, it's purely our own doing.

“So, want more, work harder, put your head down and concentrate on what it is that you're doing, and trust the people around you who have more experience, to guide you out to the other side.

“If it's right, wrong or indifferent at the end of the season, then we can take it.”

After such a dismal display, Gray will almost certainly make several changes to the starting 11.

Newry were without the services of important players Barney McKeown and Steven Ball, whilst Liam Bagnall was withdrawn with appeared to be a serious injury against Glentoran.