Ballyheane maintain unbeaten start to go clear at the top of the Mayo Super League
A review of the weekend soccer action across the county
Ballyheane won again as Castlebar Celtic and Westport United play out an eight goal thriller while Snugboro keeper Luke Sloyan proved an unlikely hero with the winning goal against Fahy Rovers.
Elverys Sports Super League
Claremorris moved into the top half of the table as they proved too strong for neighbours Ballyglass as they ran out 3-0 winners at Concannon Park on Saturday afternoon.
Danny Broderick opened the scoring early in the first half as he headed home a left-wing cross from Oisin Brady.
The home side were on top for most of the game but they had to wait until the seventieth minute to double their lead as Broderick turned provider to set up Simon Butler who scored his first of the day.
Butler got his second minutes later to seal the three points with the goal of the game as his left foot volley from outside the area left the Ballyglass keeper with little chance.
Manulla followed up their win over Westport United last weekend with another win on Saturday afternoon as they battled to a 2-1 win over Glenhest Rovers in Carramore.
The home side went in front early on as Padraig Beirne gave them the lead but Glenhest were level on the half hour mark as Pat Mulchrone found the net for Declan Nevin’s side.
Manulla were finding it difficult to breakdown a resolute Glenhest defence and it took a stunning strike in the second-half from Sean Morrisey to ensure Declan Kilkelly’s side earned a third win from four games.
Ballyheane continued their unbeaten start to the season, but they were made to work for the points as they came away with a 4-3 win over a battling Swinford side on Saturday afternoon.
Ballyheane’s scorer were more or less the same as in last weekend’s win over Claremorris as Ben Edeh hit another brace and Liam Irwin and Paddy Bourke were also on target.
Joe Slevin was in scintillating form for Swinford as he scored a hat-trick but it wasn’t to be for the East Mayo side who are still searching for their first league win of the season.
On Sunday morning there was only one place to be as Castlebar Celtic took on rivals Westport United in Celtic Park.
The match didn’t disappoint as the sides played out a thrilling 4-4 draw, but the home-side will be disappointed to have let a two-goal lead slip in the second half.
Celtic took an early lead on eight minutes as the inform Jason Hunt found space in the area and blasted the ball past Gary Cunningham into the roof of the net after Celtic put a halt to a counterattack by Westport.
Midway through the half the away side were back on level terms when James McGrath’s excellent strike from twenty yards flew past Alan Kelly and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Westport then took the lead on thirty-three minutes when Joe Lawless headed in a corner from the right, but Celtic were back on level terms before the break when Jordan Loftus slotted home inside the six-yard box after a cross from Lerlah Hay found him free inside the area.
Celtic looked like they were on the way to three points as two early second-half goals put them 4-2 up. Davitt Neary got the first on fifty-three minutes as he slotted home after his initial effort was saved by Gary Cunningham.
Lerlah Hay got their fourth as he was quickest to react to a right-wing corner that the Westport defence failed to clear. Westport though did not give up and with twenty minutes to go they got a goal back as James O’Donnell’s brilliant twenty-yard freekick flew into the bottom left-hand corner of Kelly’s net.
Minutes later it was all square as Darren Browne hit the target from the penalty spot after Kelly took Phil Keegan down inside the area.
Both sides had half chances to win it but neither keeper was properly tested in the remaining fifteen minutes as both sides had to settle for a point in an entertaining game.
Ballina Town got their second league win in a row as they hit Ballyhaunis Town for seven at Belleek on Sunday afternoon.
Ballina continued from were they left off last weekend with another barrage of goals including another hat-trick for Benny Lavelle.
Lavelle hit three while Dylan McKee hit a brace and the other goals coming from Jamie and Stephen Moyles
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Snugboro United keeper Luke Sloyan was a surprise match winner for the men in yellow on Saturday afternoon as they claimed all three points with a 3-2 win over Fahy Rovers.
Simon Duffy and Michael O’Rourke got the goals for Fahy but the game will be remembered for Sloyan strike which came from a long clearance in the final minute.
Conn Rangers returned to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Westport United B in United Park on Sunday afternoon.
After both sides suffered their first league defeats of the season last weekend this was a very important game as they tried to keep pace with Kiltimagh/Knock and Straide & Foxford United at the top of the table.
Aidan Gallagher got the opening goal just before the half hour mark as his freekick from the right wing flew past everyone and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Eoin Prendergast doubled their lead just before the break as he slotted home after some good work by Evan Reape.
Early in the second half Joe Sweet pulled a goal back for Westport but it was Rangers that held on to take the points despite Westport coming close on a few occasions late in the second half.
Iorras Aontaithe got another three points on Sunday afternoon as they beat Killala 4-2 at Carne Nash.
Jason Boylan and Dara Padden both scored twice for Erris who moved into the middle of the table with another vital home win.
Killeen Sports Ground League One
Moy Villa moved to the top of League One with another win as they secured the points thanks to a 3-1 victory over Newport/Mulranny Wanderers.
After a scoreless first half Moy Villa took the lead as John Durkan got his first of the afternoon as he got on the end of an excellent through ball from substitute Aidan Gaughan.
Newport/Mulranny equalised shortly after as David Moyinhan found the net but it was Villa who were to grab the crucial third goal as Paul O’Boyle tapped the ball into an empty net after a one-two with Durkan.
Durkan then put the result beyond doubt as he got on the end of a ball from Matthew Dillion to score with a superb left foot shot to wrap up the points for the North Mayo side.
Partry Athletic got their first league win of the season as two early goals were enough to see them get the better of Claremorris B in Partry on Sunday morning.
John Tierney opened the scoring inside the first two minutes and centre back Paul McAlpine doubled their lead two minutes later as Claremorris struggled to get to the early pace of the game.
The win moves Partry above the east Mayo side and out of the relegation zone as Neil Donnelly’s young side picked up a well-deserved three points.
Crossmolina moved onto seven points in League One with a convincing 3-0 win over Achill Rovers in Abbeyview.
Michael Canavan’s side look like a different side this season and they proved much too strong for a struggling Achill Rovers side. Stewart Griffen, Niall Coggins and Bert Carolan Jnr got the goals for Canavan’s side as they moved level on points with Kilmore who they face next weekend.
The game of the day in League One took place in Drum as Kilmore and Kiltimagh/Knock United B ended 4-4 in a hugely entertaining game.
Colin Barrett fired Kilmore in front inside the opening fifteen minutes as his right wing freekick flew past everyone and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Kilmore will wonder how they went in level at the break as they looked dangerous on the break but a superb freekick from Rafael Costa levelled matters as he hit the top left-hand corner of the net from just over thirty yards.
Kilmore hit the front again early in the second half as James Kelly calmly slotted home a penalty after he himself was fouled in the area.
Their lead did not last long as Costa found Sean Garvey with a through ball and the winger kept his cool to slot the ball past Liam Keane in the Kilmore goal.
Kilmore then went in front for the third time as their powerful striker Evan Ivers got on the end of a long ball from Sean Brogan to fire the ball past the keeper.
Kiltimagh/Knock showed great resolve to get back into the game for a third time as Costa got his second of the day with a low drive from twenty five yards and then the away side hit the front for the first time as Thomas Gillespie curled home a freekick from twenty yards.
Kilmore were back on terms once again soon after as Ivers once again showed his strength to outmuscle two defenders before blasting the ball into the roof of the net.
James Kelly thought he ha won it for Kilmore five minutes later as he poked the ball past the Kiltimagh/Knock keeper but he saw his shot come back of the inside of the post and a defender cleared the ball to avert the danger.
McDonnell Construction League Two
Ballinrobe Town joined Hollister on nine points after a 7-2 win over Crossmolina B on Sunday morning.
The top scorers in the division were once again in clinical form and as they got their third league win of the season as goals from James Colfar, JP O’Gorman, Denis Gubic and a brace apiece from cousins Conor and Shane Ryan.
The Crossmolina goals came from Niall McDonnell and Barry Molloy.
Hollister moved into joint second in League Two as they came back from a goal down to earn a 3-2 win over Castlebar Celtic B.
It was a big win for Vinny Coen’s side as a brace from Danny Langdon and a Conor Cunningham strike sealed the points for the North Mayo side despite Langdon missing a penalty with the score tied a two apiece. Nicky Canning and Stevie Ryan got the goals for Celtic.
Westport United C travelled to Mount Falcon minus a few of their regular first eleven but still came away with all three points as they came out on the right side of a nine-goal thriller against Conn Rangers B.
There were five goals in a frantic opening twenty minutes as Westport led 3-2 and both sides added a further goal before the break to leave the score at 4-3 at half-time.
David Hoban, Kevin Kitterick, Dylan O’Malley form the spot and Liam King scored for Westport while the Rangers goals came from a brace for Kevin McDermott and Cormac Reape hit the other.
Hoban added a fifth to increase the away sides lead but Liam Keane Murphy made a game of it for the remaining twenty minutes with what turned out to be the final goal of the game.
Ballyheane B got their first win of the season earlier today after a 3-2 win over Ballyvary Blue Bombers in Keelogues.
The goals for Ballyheane came from Darragh Scollan, Ian Naughton and a Robert Elhert penalty while Fergal Larkin and Alex Cunningham were on the scoresheet for the Bombers.
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Manulla C fell to their first league defeat of the season as Swinford B moved to the top of the table on their own with a 1-0 win in the top of the table clash in Carramore.
The winning goal came from Chris Reddington as the East Mayo side made it three wins on the trot after losing their opening game to Moy Villa B.
Claremorris C returned to winning ways as they came from a goal down to secure a 3-1 win over Moy Villa B on Sunday afternoon.
Moy Villa went in front thanks to a goal from Alan Kielty on twenty -five minutes but the home-side were back on level terms ten minutes later as Gavin Brady found the target.
Claremorris had to wait until the final twenty minutes to go in front for the first time as Paddy Kirrane finished superbly with a left foot strike from inside the area.
It was Kirrane who would make sure of the points as his excellent long range freekick found the top right-hand corner of the net late in the game.
The bottom two sides in the division provided another high scoring game as Fahy Rovers B and Conn Rangers B earned a point each in an eight-goal thriller in Fahy.
The sides went in level at the break as Kyle Neary scored twice for Ranger’s while Jason Monaghan from the spot and Eric Carney scored for Fahy.
Neary completed his hat-trick early in the second half to put Rangers in front but Ciaran Kilcoyne levelled matters once more to make it three all.
The sides were not to be separated as Adam Gallagher added a fourth for Conn while Daniel Cawley got the fourth goal for Fahy.