The Reds still occupy top spot in the Carling Premiership but their lead has been reduced to a single point following Linfield's defeat of Lisburn Distillery which moved the Blues into second place with a game in hand.

Newry might have opened the scoring as early as the fifth minute when Niall Henderson played Stephen Garrett through to beat John Connolly from 18 yards only for the ball to come back off the right post.

At the other end, on the half-hour mark, only a Danny O'Connor goalline clearance denied Ciaran Caldwell after he almost made the most of a breakdown in communication between Gavin McDonnell and 'keeper Neil Gallagher.

However, the visitors did grab the advantage six minutes from the break after George McMullan converted a spot-kick awarded when referee Adrian McCourt penalised O'Connor for a foul on Liam Boyce.

The Reds might have doubled their lead early in the second half through Caldwell and Chris Scannell while, on 64 minutes, McDonnell came within a whisker of levelling for Newry when his effort from just inside the area clipped the top of the crossbar.

But Newry did equalise on 70 minutes courtesy of Alan Davidson who was perfectly placed to blast home a Garrett cross from the left.