Mayo Football League round-up

Westport United B come from behind to win the Tuohy Cup while Westport United, Ballyheane, Conn Rangers and Swinford progress in the FAI Junior Cup

Tuohy Cup Final

Westport United B were crowned the Tuohy Cup Champions for 2021 as they came from a goal down to record a 2-1 win over Iorras Aontaithe.

After a goalless first half where both sides cancelled each other out it was Iorras that took the lead on fifty-seven minutes as Kyle O’Reilly made no mistake from the spot after Niall Quinn was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box.

Westport had introduced Cian Gill to the fray at this stage and it was the substitute who would make a big difference as he levelled the scores just seven minutes later as he beat three men inside the Iorras area before firing the ball under the keeper Kian Gallagher and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

It was another substitute Joe Sweet that played a key roll in what turned out to be the winning goal, which arrived just three minutes later as the right back dinked a ball over the top and into the path of Dylan Duane and the youngster made no mistake as he hit the ball on the half volley leaving Gallagher with no chance in the Iorras goal.

Iorras piled forward in the closing minutes but rarely threatened Micheal Gibbons in the Westport goal and Joe Kelly’s side held on to win their first piece of silverware of the season.

FAI Junior Cup Round 2

Ballyheane maintained their remarkable run in all competitions as the reached the third round of the FAI Junior Cup with a 4-1 win over a Ballina Town side that had won nine games in a row in all competitions going into this game.

Ballyheane were much more proficient in front of goal and had a two-goal lead at half time.

Ballina did pull a goal back just after the break thanks to substitute Dylan McKee but Ballyheane finished the stronger and added two more goals to secure a third round tie with Conn Rangers.

Nathan Reilly Doyle hit a brace for Ashley Stevenson’s side while Ben Edeh and Alan McHale got the other goals.

Conn Rangers produced the shock of the round as they held of a fightback from Manulla to seal a 3-2 win at Mount Falcon on Sunday morning.

Rangers recent troubles in front of goal had seen them slip into the relegation places in the Premier Division but they had no such problems as they put three past Manulla before Declan Kilkelly’s side got back into the game to set up an exciting finish.

Evan Reape scored a first half double and Mark Butler added the third on fifty-five minutes but Manulla pulled a goal back almost immediately and Ruairi Henry added a second from the penalty spot but Nigel Reape’s side held firm to secure a deserved victory.

Westport United had to come back from two goals down to make it through to Round 3 with a 4-3 win over Paul Burke’s Claremorris side at United Park on Sunday morning.

After forty minutes it looked like Westport’s FAI Cup run would come to an early end as Claremorris led 2-0 thanks to goals from Mark Maloney and Caolan Walsh but Mikey O’Brien’s strike before half-time gave Westport United the momentum going into the second half.

Westport looked like a different team in the second half and were level after less than ninety second as Jamie McGrath’s shot across goal looked like it was deflected in off a Claremorris defender.

Twelve minutes later and Westport hit the front for the first time as McGrath headed in a right-wing cross from the impressive O’Brien.

Dylan O’Malley got his side’s fourth goal midway through the half and despite Claremorris pulling a late goal back through Ryan McLoughlin it was Mickey Feeney’s side that made it through to Round 3.

Swinford were the final side to progress to the next round as they were much too strong for League Two side Ballinrobe Town at The Green where they recorded a 4-1 win.

Swinford went in a goal up at half-time thanks to a god run and finish from James Devaney on twenty-five minutes.

Martin Murphy doubled their lead with an excellent first-time finish after Paddy O’Donnell set him up.

Ballinrobe pulled a goal back on 65 minutes after a mix up in the Swinford defence but Devaney got a crucial third goal as he broke away to finish on seventy five minutes.

Ian Price rounded off the scoring a he headed in a left wing cross from Devaney to ensure Swinford set up a third round clash with Westport United in a few weeks’ time.

Killeen Sports Ground League One

Newport/Mulranny Wanderers caused an upset at the top of League One as an impressive 5-3 win over Crossmolina in Abbeyview sees the north Mayo side fall out of the promotion places.

Crossmolina took the lead on twenty minutes when Conal Carolan finished of a well worked move.

But this seemed to ignite the Wanderers into life and David Moyinhan, James O’Hara and a freek-kick from Aiden McManamon gave them a 3-1 half-time lead.

Stewart Griffen and Niall Coggins got Crossmolina back on level terms and it looked at this stage that the north Mayo side would push on and win it.

But Newport/Mulranny had other ideas and went back in front as McManamon got his second of the day from the penalty spot after Shaun Boyle was taken down in the area.

It was the away side that grabbed another goal to seal the points as Fintan McManamon fired in their fifth with only minutes remaining.

Kiltimagh/Knock United B returned to the top of League One with a 7-0 win over a relegation threatened Achill Rovers.

Ethan King gave them the lead after only two minutes with a screamer from thirty five yards and Thomas Gillespie doubled their lead on the half hour mark before Shane Predergast scored a brace before half time to leave the home-side four goals up at the break.

Rafeal Costa made it five early in the second half before Gillespie added his seconds minutes later and the young winger completed his hat-trick late on to put the gloss on a good win for James Costello’s side.

Moy Villa kept the pressure on Kiltimagh/Knock United at the top of the table with a 5-1 win over Partry Athletic where the League

The player of the month for September was the star of the show with another four goals to take him to fifteen league goals for the season.

John Durkan hit the other goal for the north Mayo side who will go into next weekend’s cup final with Crossmolina full of confidence after this weekend’s win.

At the other end of the table Kilmore put in a strong second half performance to ease their relegation worries with a 5-1 win over Claremorris B.

The sides went in level at the break despite Claremorris having only ten players and even though two players arrived just before half-time Kilmore turned in a much better second half performance against eleven men.

Mark Gilbert gave Kilmore the lead on thirty-five minutes as he got on the end of a through ball from Jamie Flannery but Claremorris equalised minutes before the break against the run of play from a set piece.

Kilmore continued to dominate the possession in the second half and went back in front before the hour mark when Mark Gilbert scored his second of the day after Sean Brogan teed him up after Brogan’s initial effort was saved by Keith Saunders.

Brogan was the provider for Kilmore’s third goal as well as his well hit free-kick from twenty five yards was spille into the path of Eamon Fallon who bundled the ball over the line from four yards out.

Brogan then got on the scoresheet himself with a well taken goal on eighty minutes before he provided his third assist of the day as his low ball across the box was finished to the net by Caobhlin Flatley who scored his first goal for his new club.

CMR Fire & Security League Three

Claremorris C moved to the top of League Three as they came from two goals down to edge out a seven-goal thriller against Swinford B. Claremorris found themselves a goal down after half an hour.

But despite Conor O’Keefe levelling matters, they still went in a goal down as Swinford went back in front minutes later.

Swinford then added a third ten minutes into the second half and looked on their way to opening up a four-point gap at the top of the table but Newton Carlos Silva had other ideas as he hit a fifteen-minute hat-trick to turn things around at Concannon Park as his side moved a point clear at the top of the table.

Keith Kavanagh scored twice for Swinford with Johnny McNulty also finding the target for the East Mayo side.

In the other two games in League Three Manulla C and Ballyglass B kept themselves in contention for promotion with wins over Conn Rangers C and Moy Villa B.

- Report courtesy of the Mayo Football League.

*Full match report and photos from the Tuohy Cup final in tomorrow's print edition of The Connaught Telegraph.