They nearly moved in front as early as the third minute after a Kevin Braniff effort deflected off Gavin McDonnell forcing City 'keeper Andy Coleman into a desperate scramble to tip the ball around the upright.

Braniff came even closer ten minutes later with a superbly struck drive from just outside the area which crashed back off the right post and across the goalline before being cleared.

Then, less than a minute after the break, Gary McCutcheon delivered the ball across the Newry goal but ultimately wide of the post.

Newry's best moment came on 55 minutes when a long Coleman clearance was misjudged by John Convery whose attempted back header fell for Chris Morgan only for his 18-yard drive to be well tipped over the bar by David Miskelly.

And Miskelly was called into action not long after to deny a Steven Ferguson drive while, a little later, Morgan was denied breaking the deadlock when Ports defender Chris Coleman cleared the ball off the line.