LEAGUE results may not have been what they had hoped for in January, so Saturday’s trip to Ballymena United in the Irish Cup (Ballymena Showgrounds, 3pm) will act as something of a welcome distraction for Newington.

The Swans overcame Ballymoney United in the Fifth Round in early January with Michael Morgan scoring an 81st minute winner to send the North Belfast side into the last 16, but since then, results in the league have nosedived with five successive defeats that leaves them second from bottom on goal difference from Dergview.

On Tuesday evening, Paul Hamilton’s side lost 3-0 to the Tyrone club for the second time in 10 days, with Mikhail Kennedy netting penalties either side of  Ben Gallagher’s strike to help their team move out of the relegation zone.

It has been a difficult period for the North Belfast club, but an upturn in fortunes will likely see them move away from danger as there is little to choose between the bottom six clubs.

“At the minute, we’re stumbling a bit,” said the Newington manager.

“A couple of players have been injured and then with new players coming in, it’s very difficult to get that winning formula.

“It’s a really tough league and unforgiving. You need to be on point every week, but we are finding our feet.

“We’re the new kids on the block in the Championship so we’re not going to rip up any trees. Our aim is just to stay in the league, progress and build.”

It has been a fairly productive January in terms of the arrival of new faces with 21-year-old striker Phillip Doran and midfielder Conor McCarron arriving from Ballynagross FC this week.

They followed on from the signings of defender Eamonn Hughes signing from Willowbank, striker Nick Beta from Derriaghy CC, full-back Joe Diver from St James’ Swifts and midfielder Paul Donnelly from Cliftonville.

Those new faces - who are unavailable for Saturday’s Cup tie - will take a little time to bed in and along with some injuries to players, it has been an unsettled month for the Solitude-based club and a contributing factor in their disappointing run of results.

Yet, it must also be factored in that their first season up in the Championship was always going to be challenging and consolidating their status was always the aim.

They remain in a fairly decent position to do just that heading down the stretch, so on Saturday the pressure will be off a little as they head to mid-Antrim with the intention of playing their own game and seeing if they can spring a surprise against a Ballymena United team that suffered a heavy defeat to Cliftonville last weekend.

Back in September, Newington hosted Ballymena United in the County Antrim Shield with the Braidmen escaping with a 2-1 win, so there will be no inferiority complex heading to the Showgrounds this weekend.

“The Cup is a good distraction as it takes us away from the league,” Hamilton agreed.

“We’re under no pressure going to Ballymena, but we’re not going there to make up the numbers or fulfil a game - we’re going to win a game.

“For us to go and beat Ballymena would be massive in terms of the history of the club and the community, but it’s a big ask.

“Our focus was Dergview on Tuesday and we didn’t get home from that until around midnight, so we’ll do a training session on Thursday to prepare for Saturday.

“It’s a busy week but a good busy as you’re at the business end of things now.

“We ran Ballymena close in the County Antrim Shield. (David) Jeffrey was full of praise for the team so he knows what he will get on Saturday and maybe come in for some of our players again! We’ve a good enough squad there to put it up to Ballymena.”

Elsewhere in the Irish Cup Sixth Round, the action begins on Friday evening with another of the North Belfast sides, Crusaders, making the trip to Clandeboye Park along with the BBC cameras to face Bangor.

Cliftonville host Coleraine in an all-Premiership tie on Saturday with the tie of the round taking place at Inver Park as Larne host Linfield.

Portadown host Glentoran in another top-tier clash, while the remaining ties see Glenavon at one to H&W Welders, Institute entertaining Ballyclare Comrades and Knockbreda with home advantage against Dungannon Swifts.