Watson backs his new boy to get back to his best at Banbridge

Left short in the forward department following the departure of Ally Wilson towards the end of the season, Barr is a much-needed recruit at Crystal Park.

The 23 year-old makes the step up from Mid-Ulster football and will be playing his first season in the Championship but Town boss Ryan Watson is backing his new man to hit the ground running.

“Neil has been scoring goals for Newry during their rise back up through the leagues,” he said.

“I’ve watched him a few times while he has been there and he actually played against us during pre-season last year, when he scored a couple of goals.

“We have high hopes for him.”

Barr finished the 2013/14 season as Newry’s top goal-scorer. After joining the relatively recently reformed club from Camlough Rovers, he quickly cemented his place as a key cog in their quest for a return to the top.

However, a stuttering season just past, Barr found himself relegated to the Reserves all too often.

He was still proving his knack of scoring though, notably netting a double for the second-string in a 3-0 victory over Banbridge Town AFC in April.

“Goal-scorers are hard to find anywhere so I’m delighted to get Neil on board,” continued Watson. “He’s champing at the bit now to get going and he’s really looking forward to stepping up to Championship football.

“He plays on the shoulder of the last defender and is a great finisher. He has scored goals since he was at the Glenavon Academy as a teenager.

“We need somebody who can put the ball away when we create goal-scoring chances.

“It’s an opportunity for him and he has the potential to be a success here. It’s now up to him to get as fit as he can and show us what he can do during pre-season.”

Barr joins winger Ryan Moffatt and midfielder / defender Kevin Anderson as Town’s summer recruits so far as Watson begins to assemble his squad for the 2015/16 Championship Two season ahead.