First half Barr hat-trick condemns Institute to Newington defeat at Brandywell

Institute 1, Newington 3

Institute fell to successive Playr-Fit Championship defeats as Zach Barr's first half hat-trick secured a deserved victory for Newington at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium on Saturday.

Despite a bright opening in which Mark Mbuli made it three goals in three games for Kevin Deery's men, Newington's greater physicality eventually saw the Belfast side turn the game around with Barr a constant thorn in the home side's defence. The disappointment for Deery will be the carbon copy manner in which the big striker grabbed his opening two goals, twice finding himself in space to score at the back post from poorly defended corners.

After dominating Portadown last week despite the 1-0 defeat in Shamrock Park, this will be a steep learning curve for Deery's young team who were neat and tidy in possession but lacked the cutting edge to really trouble Newington.

With one win and one loss under their belts after the two games, Institute started on top with man of the moment Mbuli central to all their early probings. Following his brace in the season opening victory over Knockbreda, Newington had a warning of the threat posed by the young winger as early as the third minute when he pinched the ball off the toe of centre-half Aodhfionn Casey and forced visiting No. 1 Dean Smyth into an excellent stop.

It was a warning the Belfast men failed to heed, and three minutes later they paid the price.

The move began at the back but even when the ball reached the feet of centre-forward Kirk McLaughlin, who had dropped deep, the threat was not immediately evident. That changed the moment McLaughlin spotted Mbuli's run in off the wing. The striker's through ball was brilliant but even that was eclipsed by the nonchalantly chipped finish of Mbuli who made a difficult finish look easy and 'Stute were one up.

Stute were coasting and therein lay the problem. If anything it was too comfortable and the home side's intensity levels dropped which offered Newington a route back into the game, one they grabbed it with both hands.

After a couple of sighters, the Belfast side forced an 11th minute corner. Patrick Downey was the man charged with delivery but his kick looked to be drifting beyond the far post. Or at least everyone else thought it was until big centre forward Barr ghosted in behind everyone to plant a superb header back over everyone and into the Dylan Doherty's net.

The goal was the adrenaline injection Newington needed and suddenly Institute's control had evaporated with Newington causing havoc every time they won a set-piece.

Doherty was almost caught in possession inside his own six yard box before visiting centre half Eamonn Hughes thought he had scored following another goalmouth scramble at a corner. The same player then sent an even better chance over the bar from a Casey cross.

Institute were second best but still should have regained the lead on 28 minutes when Liam Mullan's free kick evaded the whole Newington defence and left Evan Tweed in space six yards out. The 'Stute midfielder looked certain to score but Smyth was quick off his line to block and a huge chance was gone.

The longer the half progressed the more the visitors' confidence and control grew and it was no great surprise when they had turned the game around by half-time. What was surprising though was that Stute allowed a carbon copy of Newington's opening goal to give Newington and Barr their second; the big striker this time meeting Downey's back post corner with his knee to make it 1-2 on 39 minutes.

If that was avoidable, there was little ’Stute could do about the goal that wrapped up a first half hat-trick for the big No. 7 as he spotted Doherty off his line and floated a sublime 40 yard effort over the ’Stute keeper and into the net to give his side a two goal interval lead.

Kevin Deery's response to what he had seen was emphatic, introducing Conor Quigley and Sean Carlin at the expense of Dylan King and Orrin McLaughlin and the impact was immediate as Institute should have pulled one back within four minutes of the restart.

Liam Mullan was the midfield architect, producing a fantastic turn and pass to release Michael Harris coming in off the right wing. Harris had still plenty to do given his angle but fired a fierce shot which rattled off the outside of the Newington post.

The substitutions had helped Stute wrestle back control but they weren't hurting Newington and it wasn't long before the Stute manager added both Sean McCarron and Tiarnan McKinney in an effort to reel their visitors in.

Institute needed a goal and came agonisingly close when Shaun Leppard's saw his near post header was cleared off the Newington line by Paul Donnelly who was guarding the back post for the home side's corner with 20 minutes to go.

The home side's frustrations were growing as Newington, content to sit in and protect their lead, broke up play and slowed the game at every opportunity. Ryan Morrow saw a snapshot saved before superb footwork from McCarron picked his way through the Newington defence to tee up fellow sub Jamie McCormick who finished well but ’Stute joy was cut short by the linesman's flag.

It summed up Stute's day, as Newington's experience and greater physical presence won out again a home side who never quit found the finish to complement some lovely build-up play.

Institute: Dylan Doherty, Ryan Morrow, Shaun Leppard, Evan Tweed, Orrin McLaughlin (Sean Carlin, HT), Liam Mullan (Tiarnan McKinney, 61mins), Kirk McLaughlin (Sean McCarron, 61mins), Mark Mbuli, Dylan King (Conor Quigley, HT), Michael Harris (Jamie McCormick, 76mins), Shane Boyle.

Newington: Dean Smyth, Tiernan McAuley, Aodhfionn Casey, Eamonn Hughes, Richard Gowdy, Zach Barr (Nathan Clare, 82mins), Paul Donnelly (Francis Rice, 82mins), Darren Stuart, Patrick Downey, Seamus Duffy, Joshua Diver (Dylan Whiteway, 86mins).

Referee: Glenn Buchanan