FAI Junior Cup preview

Tuesday, 25 January 2011 12:10

Four Mayo clubs remain in the FAI Junior Cup and all four will be in action at the weekend in round five of the illustrious competition, weather permitting. The only club enjoying home advantage, Westport United, welcome top Sligo town side City United, who went top of the Sligo/Leitrim League last weekend.
City have played top Mayo sides Iorras Aontaithe and Castlebar Celtic in the recent past at their Cranmore home and the games were close, so Westport know they'll get nothing easy at the Sports Park.
But Westport have plenty to fight for in this, their centenary year. Still hurting from finishing second in the league behind Ballina Town for the last two seasons, United retain many of the players who helped secure the FAI Junior Cup crown in 2005 but have added new talent as and when needed.
They remain a potent side and with home advantage and a sizeable support, they can oust the Sligo side.
That said, they will need Martin Geraghty and Joe Lawless to be at their best to keep tabs on the always dangerous Gareth Kelly and Keith Nibbs. If those two are kept quiet, Westport have enough firepower of their own to go on and win the game.

In some ways, Castlebar Celtic have the easiest and hardest task of all in going to St. Peter's of the Combined Counties Football League.
It's easy in that they know all about the Athlone-based side, who went all the way to the final of the competition in 2009 before succumbing to Ballymun United in Tolka Park.
But it's going to be a difficult game for the young Celts because St. Peter's bring both experience and form (they have won nine and drawn one of 10 league games so far to top the league) into the encounter.
It would be a surprise if Celtic came back from Athlone with a win but the county town side are often at their best with their backs to the wall, as last season's Super League heroics proved. If they resurrect the spirit that saw them easily avoid relegation when unfancied to do so, they could surprise St. Peter's.

Most expectation probably rests on the shoulders of Ballina Town. They travel to Ennis, Co. Clare, to take on Clare league and cup champions Avenue United. Given that Town have won the Super League in the past two years and have added a number of cup trophies in that time too, Brendan Kenny's charges will be rightly fancied to go on a good cup run.
They were fancied last year too, however, and the at-times porous nature of the defence proved their undoing. But when Derek Tansey plays at centre-back – with whoever partners him – they tend to play with more defensive nous.
And with Michael Duffy, Brendan Lavelle and Philip Devers spearheading the attack, the potential for goals within the side is huge. With Tom O'Connor and John Mountney capable of providing ammunition from the middle as well, Town should travel to the Clare county town with some confidence.

Lastly, Kiltimagh/Knock United might not have so much confidence in going to Wilton United, Cork, but they travel in the knowledge that they have absolutely nothing to lose.
No one would expect the east Mayo men to cause the Cork city side much trouble given that they lie second in the Cork AUL Premier League.
But we can expect Kiltimagh/Knock to be competitive, to play a compact game and to give everything for 90 minutes (and more if extra time comes into play) in an attempt to cause a shock.
If Wilton fail to give Kiltimagh/Knock enough respect they'll be in for a shock because the boys from east Mayo will be up for it, of that there can be no doubt.
To call it, I'll go for two from four, Westport and Ballina to come through in tight encounters with Celtic and Kilitmagh/Knock both losing out, but again in close affairs.