And Paul Kirk will be happy his Whites remain undefeated in the league after a potentially troublesome away fixture as they prepare for Cliftonville in midweek.

The first half was a largely unproductive affair for both sides as they struggled to cope with the unrelenting rain.

Newry came close towards the interval when 'keeper Philip Matthews failed to hold a Cormac McArdle free-kick only for Paul Muir to clear the danger while Lee Feeney and Damien Curran also caused moments of anxiety.

And whilst Newry resumed the pressure after the break through Andy Crawford and David Ward it was the visitors who almost edged in front when a Gareth McKeown effort from just outside the box was denied only by an excellent Robert Robinson reflex save after it had taken a deflection off defender Paddy McLaughlin.