Mayo League divisional cup finals confirmed
After an exciting day of action we now have our divisional cup finalists as the major shocks came in the lower divisions as Castlebar Celtic B and Fahy Rovers B reached their respective finals.
Westaro Cup
Ballyheane’s fairy-tale season continued as they reached the Westaro Cup another cup final with a 4-2 win on penalties over Westport United at a wet and windy Pat Quigley Park on Sunday afternoon. The sides couldn’t be separated in normal time or in extra time so penalties were required to settle the tie. Ballyheane scored all four of their spot kicks while Jack Murphy and Peter Corcoran both failed to fins the target for Westport as Ashley Stevenson’s side progressed to the final.
In the other semi-final Ballina Town had a 3-1 win over Claremorris in Belleek as the North Mayo side continued their recent good run of form. Jamie Cawley gave the home side the lead inside the first five minutes as Ballina started the game on the front foot and they had doubled their lead on twenty-five minutes when Jamie Moyles got his name on the scoresheet. Claremorris pulled a goal back early in the second half as Ryan McLoughlin scored for the away side but Cawley got the crucial third goal for Ballina with twenty minutes to go.
Tuohy Cup
Kyle O’Reilly dinked in a late penalty in the dying minutes of extra time to send Iorras Aontaithe into the Tuohy Cup final after a 2-1 win over Conn Rangers at Carne Nash. Rangers dominate the opening half against the wind but had to wait until three minutes before the break to take the lead as Owen McNamara found the back of the net at the second attempt after Kian Gallagher saved his initial effort.
Rangers started the second half like the finished the first but failed to take their chances as Evan Reape came closest to doubling their lead, but his accuracy deserted him on two occasions as he headed just wide when well placed. Iorras grew into the game and equalised when substitute Kyle O’Reilly got his first of the day as he pounced on in error in the Rangers backline.
Rangers pushed forward in search of the winner but most of their efforts were from distance as the Iorras defence stood strong to see out the rest of the game. Iorras improved in extra time and right from the start they looked like the side that could find a winner, but they had to wait until the final two minutes when Dylan Walker was fouled inside the area and O’Reilly kept his composure to dink the ball down the middle as the Conn Rangers keeper dived to his left.
Westport United B caused one of the shocks of the day as they game from 3-1 down to reach the final with a 4-3 win over the league leaders Kiltimagh/Knock United. Kiltimagh/Knock raced into an early lead as Darragh Hanlon headed in at the back post as he got on the end of a cross from Cormac Caulfield. They were two-nil up on twenty minutes as Dylan Webb finished off an excellent team move but Brandon Scahill pulled a goal back for Westport from the penalty spot just two minutes later.
Webb gave the home-side a two-goal cushion on thirty-five minutes but that was as good as it got for Kiltimagh/Knock as Westport came out a rejuvenated side in the second-half as they scored three goals in a ten minute period to turn the game around. Scahill added another with Mark McNally also getting a brace as Joe Kelly’s side reached their second final of the season after already booking a place in the Calor Gas Premier Cup decider.
Tonra Cup
Moy Villa recovered from a goal deficit at half-time to reach the final as they got their second win in two weeks over Achill Rovers at Fr. O’Brien Park. Just like last time it was a fairly comfortable win in the end as the North Mayo side didn’t panic despite an indifferent first half performance. A hat-trick from Andrew Ruane and a brace from both Luke Ruane and Ciaran Gaughan were more than enough to see them through on a 7-3 scoreline.
Crossmolina came from a goal behind to see if Kilmore on a 4-1 score line in A blustery Drum on Sunday morning. Niall Coggins was once again to the fore for Michael Canavan’s side as he hit a second half hat-trick after the sides went in level at the break. Kilmore playing with the aid of a strong breeze took the lead on 27 minutes when Ciaran Cawley’s long ball into the box took a deflection off the head of a Crossmolina defender and flew over Keith Gallagher in the Crossmolina goal and into the top corner of the net.
The away side were level five minutes before the half time whistle when David O’Boyle finished to an empty net after he chased down a through ball and got in the way of goalkeepers Liam Keane’s clearance to send the ball over the keeper and left him with the simplest of tasks as he made it 1-1. Kilmore has a few half chances as met the start of the second half but it was Crossmolina who got the next goal as Niall Coggins hit his first of the day as he beat the offside trap to slot the ball past Keane.
Coggins then got his second of the day five minutes later as Crossmolina took control when he fired in a terrific right foot shot from ten yards out that left Keane with no chance as it flew past him at the near post. It was all Crossmolina at this stage and Coggins completed his hat trick with fifteen minutes to go as he put away a spot kick after he himself was taken down in the box.
Crossmolina saw the game out as they continued their brilliant run of form where they have remained unbeaten against League One sides since the opening day of the season.
McDonnell Cup
Castlebar Celtic B ended Westport United C’s unbeaten start to the season with a surprise 3-2 win after extra-time win at Celtic Park on Sunday evening. David Hoban gave Westport the lead just before half-time when he beat the offside trap and took his time before sliding the ball past the Celtic keeper to score the opening goal of the day. Celtic though were to get the next two goals as Zac Coyne hit a double for Stephen Moran’s side.
Just after the hour mark he got his first as he raced onto a through ball from Bryan Mannion and slotted the ball home past Niall O’Malley from ten yards. The same two players combined five minutes later as Coyne won the ball back on the edge of the Westport area and played a quick one two with Mannion before curling the ball past O’Malley in the Westport goal. It was another former Westport great that equalised for the away side to send the game to extra time as Vinny O’Malley got on the end of a ball over the top from Austin O’Malley to calmly fire the ball across
Mulgrew and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. The winning goal arrived early in the first-half of extra time and it was a goal worthy of winning any game as Mark Rattigan found the top right hand corner of the net from twenty-five yards. This was to be the only goal in extra-time and Celtic progressed to the final where they will meet Ballinrobe Town.
Ballinrobe Town’s first season back in Mayo League football continues to go well as they booked their place in the McDonnell Cup final as they put eight past Ballyvary Blue Bombers at The Green on Sunday afternoon. Owen Corcoran scored a hat-trick while the other goals came from JP O’Gorman (two), Jonathon Lawrence (two) and Gary Mellotte.
League Three Cup sponsored by The Print Depot
Fahy Rovers B produced the shock of the day with a 4-2 win over a highly fancied Manulla C side in Fahy on Sunday afternoon. Fahy are currently bottom of League Three and are yet to pick up a win but they picked a good day to turn their fortunes around as Ciaran Kilcoyne hit a brace and Tom Keane and Colin Hastings were also on target for Paul Knowles side.
They will be joined in the final by current table toppers Swinford B who were much to strong for Conn Rangers C as they ran out 6-1 winners at Mount Falcon. Experienced players Johnny McNulty, Paul Kenny and Kieran O’Donnell all found the net for Swinford as McNulty hit a brace while the other two goals came from Cian Reddington and a penalty from Kacper Gawalkiewicz.
- Report by the Mayo Football League
*Full match reports from both Westaro Cup semi-finals in tomorrow's print edition of The Connaught Telegraph.