Gary Boyle: I learnt a lot from my first management job with Newry City and feel ready for new Warrenpoint Town chapter

Add into the equation the arrival of his second child in August, it has been a busy time in Boyle’s life, but having learnt crucial lessons during his reign at the Showgrounds, the ex-’Point player feels ready to embrace this new challenge.

His tenure at Newry, where Boyle had spent the six years prior in Darren Mullen’s backroom staff, lasted only 28 matches before he resigned following a 4-0 Boxing Day defeat to Glenavon.

He won six of those games, leading his side to the BetMcLean Cup quarter-finals while also collecting a December point on the road at Crusaders, and is now tasked with helping to resurrect Warrenpoint’s form in the Premier Intermediate League.

Boyle takes over with the club sitting eighth ahead of Saturday’s trip to Portstewart and having won just two of their last 12 league fixtures, but he’s ready to embark on this new chapter with renewed vigour after a first taste of life in the dugout.

"I really, really enjoyed it and it's probably only looking back now that you realise how much you did enjoy it,” he reflected. “Certainly over the last couple of months I felt at times that I stepped away too quickly and didn't back myself enough to turn it around.

"I do feel there's elements of that, but that's in the past and I have a lot of fond memories from Newry.

"I still keep in touch with a lot of people there and it's a club that will do okay...I think they'll be fine in the Premiership this season too.

"It was my first role at Newry and while I was familiar with the club and many of the players, it was my first taste of that pressurised cauldron situation where the buck stops with you.

"I've had to adjust and reflect on some of the rights and wrongs that I carried with me along that journey. I don't regret anything at Newry and I don't think it was a failure.

"It was a difficult set of circumstances and if I can grow and learn from that as a person and manager then it's all positive.

“I have my focus now on the remaining part of the season with Warrenpoint and I'll be looking to put things in place that I want to for moving forward."

Boyle maintains complete confidence that he has the players at his disposal to turn Warrenpoint’s situation around with one eye already on setting a platform to springboard off next season.

"I'm confident going that the group we have there are better than potentially the results have shown and hopefully with a lot of hard work in the background that come pre-season we'll be a different animal,” he added. "There's a good mix of youth and experience.

"The problem might be that we've had to bring in too many youngsters at the one time and when that happens and confidence is low it becomes that bit more difficult.

"If you have a few experienced heads around it helps to elevate the performance of the younger players instead of the younger ones having to take the lead.

"I do feel the good crop of young players will have learnt from this experience and it's in times of difficulty that you learn more about yourself and some of the younger lads will be benefiting and be able to take it forward in their careers."