A Chris Morgan hat-trick gave Newry City three vital points at The Showgrounds, although they were made to sweat after Timmy Adamson and Adam McMinn replied for Dungannon in the second half.

Newry broke the deadlock after 40 minutes of tedium when Kevin Keegan crossed from the right and Morgan beat the defence to score from close range.

The first six minutes of the second half had more incident in it than the whole of the first with another City goal and a chance for Stephen Garrett to add a third less than 60 seconds later.

Dwayne Nelson failed to clear JP Gallagher’s backpass and after Garrett had closed the keeper down, he pulled the ball back for Morgan to lash home first time.

Then, Garrett beat the offside trap and although he lobbed the ball over Nelson, he headed wide under pressure from Fergal McAliskey.

Steven Ferguson missed a gilt-edged chance to put the game to bed for City just after the hour when he got on the end of another Garrett cutback but Ferguson screwed his first time shot wide from 12 yards.

Timmy Adamson clawed one back for the visitors - a goal they scarcely deserved - when the former Linfield man, now in his second spell at Stangmore Park, stroked home Mark McAllister’s low cross from the right.

But Morgan got his first hat-trick for City with a classy finish with just over 10 minutes left. More clever work by Garrett saw him lay the ball off to Morgan and the highly decorated striker planted it into the bottom right hand corner from 16 yards, his eighth goal of the season.

Just when it looked like Newry would cruise to the final whistle, Adam McMinn rose highest to nod in a free kick from the left and bring Dungannon to within a goal of a point.

Newry City: Murphy, Ferguson, Black, Gowdy, E. Friars, Clarke, Garrett, Collins (Curran 78), Morgan, Donegan, Keegan.

Subs not used: King, Doherty, Walsh, Havern.

Dungannon: Nelson, Mullan, Gallagher, McAliskey, McMinn, Fitzpatrick, Hegarty, McManus, Adamson, McAllister, McGerrigan (Baker 63). Subs not used: Tomelty, McKee, Mulgrew, Peden.

Referee: Michael McLaughlin (Belfast).