Celtic send message to Mayo League title rivals
Castlebar Celtic recorded an impressive win over Ballyheane while Conn Rangers progressed to the Connacht Junior Shield semi-final where they will meet Crossmolina in two weeks time.
Conn Rangers joined Crossmolina in the Connacht Junior Shield semi-finals as they came from two goals down at half time to record a 3-2 win over Ballymote Celtic.
Rangers had plenty of chances in that first half but just couldn’t make the breakthrough while Ballymote had no such trouble as they scored twice in the opening half. Rangers though came out fighting in the second half and goals from Ciaran Brogan, PJ Gilmartin and Liam Durkan means they will now meet their north Mayo rivals in the semi final in two weeks time.
Westport United got back to winning ways in the Elverys Sports Super League with a terrific 7-2 win over Straide & Foxford United at Green Road on Saturday evening.
They did recover from going a goal behind early on to lead at the break and they were at their most impressive in the third quarter of the match when they scored four goals in just 12 minutes.
The opening goal was a really bad goal for United to concede as goalkeeper Jamie Leahy’s long clearance found Kienan Smyth and the young striker lobbed the ball over Gary Cunningham to score the opening goal.
Westport responded inside three minutes when Leahy let a shot slip from Cian Halpin and Kevin Kitterick followed up to balst the ball to the net from ten yards out. Westport scored twice in the closing stages of the first half to take control of the game with the first of these coming from a Dylan O’Malley freekick and the second a minute later as O’Malley set up Kitterick to finish at the back post.
Harrison Quinn looked to have got the last touch to make it four from a corner from the left early in the second half before Dylan O’Malley and Alex Halpin got the next two and Kitterick completed the scoring for United to get his hat-trick on 65 minutes while Michael Guilfoyle got a consolation goal for Straide & Foxford in the final ten minutes.
Ballina Town made it four wins from five in the league with a very good 3-1 win over Kiltimagh/Knock United in Belleek.
There was no surprise to see that it was Benny Lavelle that was the star of the show as the brilliant striker scored a first half hat-trick to end the match as a contest before the break. Lavelle opened the scoring on ten minutes but it was a two minute period before the break that had a huge impact on the destination of the three points. Lavelle made it two in injury time before adding a third a minute later to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
Substitute Iarla Carty pulled a goal back for the away side with ten minutes to go but it was Alan Henry’s side that took the three points on a wet evening in Ballina.
In the big game of the weekend, Castlebar Celtic came from behind to take all three points and maintain their 100% start to the season with a 2-1 win over champions Ballyheane in Pat Quigley Park.
Liam Morris gave Ballyheane the lead in injury time at the end of the first half but Celtic showed they mean business this season as they turned it around in the second half.
Mark Cunningham levelled matters on 64 minutes before Dylan Edwards hit the winner for Stevie Gavin’s side with 15 minutes to go.
the final Super League game of the weekend, Manulla are still looking for their first league this season as a resilient Crossmolina side came from a goal down inside a minute to earn a 3-1 win in Abbeyview.
Diarmuid Heneghan score the opening goal of the game for Manulla before Crossmolina hit back to lead at the break as Stewart Griffin and Niall Coggins scored for Michael Canavan’s side. Aaron Coggins added a third in the second half to wrap up the win as Crossmolina moved onto six points after four games.
In the CastleCourt Hotel Premier Division, Moy Villa moved to the top of the Premier Division for a few hours with a 5-2 win over Swinford on Saturday evening in James McEvaddey Park. Ciaran Gaughan set up Andrew Ruane to give them the lead midway through the first half and it was Gaughan who was also the provider for their second goal as this time it was Luke Ruane that finished off the move just before the break. Swinford got back into the game as Keith Kavanagh scored early in the second half but Adorn Biju’s own goal ten minutes later restored Villa’s two goal advantage. Two goals in two minutes gave Villa a four goal lead as Gaughan was again the provider for John Durkan and Anthony Loftus before Ewan Murphy got a second goal for Swinford with ten minutes to go.
All of the Sunday morning games went the way of the favourites as Ballyglass, Claremorris and Westport B all picked up the three points. Ballyglass returned to the top of the table with a comfortable 4-1 win over Kiltimagh/Knock United B. They were three goals up within half an hour a Jack Keane, Liam Hughes and Dean O’Malley all hit the back of the net for John Noonan’s side.
Sean Niland’s 30-yard screamer gave Kiltimagh/Knock some hope on the hour mark but substitute Kevin Warde scored a fourth for Ballyglass to kill off any chance of a comeback on 77 minutes.
Claremorris also wrapped up the three points with three early goals as they secured a 3-1 win over Fahy Rovers in Fahy. Newton Silva opened the scoring after only three minutes before Finnian Brady doubled their lead five minutes later. Simon Butler made it three after fifteen minutes and despite Liam Troy pulling a goal back on 28 minutes it was Claremorris who seen out the game to move within two points of first place in the Premier Division.
Westport United B got their first win of the season as they hit four goals against Ballyhaunis Town without reply in United Park. Ted Horan gave them the lead at half time from a Conor Calvey assist and Horan repaid the favour as Calvey made it two early in the second half. Calvey then made it three on fifty-four minutes before Daniel O’Malley completed the scoring on the hour mark.
Ballinrobe Town continued their winning run against Kilmore as they came away with a very impressive 4-1 win in Drum. They took the lead on 20 minutes as Shane Ryan tapped the ball into an empty net at the back post after the Kilmore keeper parried a shot from outside the area. Kilmore fought back and levelled the match on 34 minutes when Evan Ivers and Brian Keane found themselves one on one with the keeper and Ivers laid the ball off to Keane to finish into the empty net.
The next goal was always going to be crucial and it went Ballinrobe’s way when JP O’Gorman raced clear and his clever chip over Pat McHale in the Kilmore goal was headed in by Danny O’Toole. O’Gorman then made it three on the hour mark when he got on the end of a Shane Ryan cross and Kevin Mullen completed the scoring with four minutes to go.
Castlebar Celtic made it two wins from two in Killeen Sports Ground League One with a 3-0 win over Conn Rangers B in Mount Falcon on Saturday evening. Dylan Felle gave them the lead in the opening minute to set them on their way to the three points and they went in two goals up at the break as Eric Connolly scored an unfortunate own goal. Dylan Howley made it three on the hour mark with a well taken goal as Celtic kept up their winning start to League One football.
Another side on maximum points after two games is Manulla B who came out on top in a five goal thriller against Achill Rovers in Carramore. Dylan Padden opened the scoring for Damien Joyce’s side after twenty seven minutes but the sides went in level at the break as Michael English got his fourth goal of the season on 38 minutes.
Iago Moura Rocha restored Manulla’s lead on the hour mark before Matty Nolan added a third with sixteen minutes to go. Just a minute later Dean Guthrie pulled a goal back for Achill to make it an interesting final 15 minutes but there were to be no more goals and Manulla held on to take all three points.
Ballyheane B picked up their first three points of the season with a 5-1 win over Claremorris B in Pat Quigley Park as Sean Kelly’s side put their opening round defeat to Killala behind them.
A brace from Sean Rabbette gave them a two goal lead before James Cullinane halved the deficit with a goal on the half hour mark. Darragh Scollan then hit two goals of his own to put Ballyheane in control before Niall Vahey completed the scoring with ten minutes to go.
In the final League One game Killala and Hollister met in a north Mayo derby and it was Killala who came out on top winning 2-1 in Belleek. Killala score both their goals in the first half as Kevin Healy gave them the lead on twelve minutes before Mark Moyles doubled the lead for the away side on thirty-two minutes. Martin Delaney pulled a goal back for Hollister on the hour mark but it was Killala who held on to make it two wins from two to join Celtic B and Manulla B on maximum points at the top of the table.
Ballyvary Blue Bombers showed that they mean business in McDonnell Construction League Two this season with a very impressive 8-2 win over Ballinrobe Town B. A hat-trick from Pat Lynch, two from Chris Keirns and goals from Colm Kelly, Brian Sweeney and Cillian O’Brien did the damage for Ballyvary while Adam Thornton and Simon Collins got the Ballinrobe goals with Collins getting his first League Two goal this season from the penalty spot.
The game of the day took place in Castlebar as Castlebar Town came from three goals down to earn a 5-3 win over Crossmolina B. Crossmolina started the game in superb form as they went three goals up inside 11 minutes. Oisin Deane scored twice with Matthew Williams getting his name on the scoresheet between the two goals from Deane.
At this stage it looked like there would only be one winner as Town looked disorganised but goals from Dillon Matter and Moo Paw before the half hour mark changed the momentum of the game. Connor Parsons then levelled matters in first half injury time before he added a second to give Castlebar the lead on the hour mark. Moo Paw completed the scoring with 15 minutes to go as Pat Ahern’s side got their first win since returning to Mayo League football.
On Sunday, Iorras Aontaithe made the long trip to south Mayo and returned with the three points after a 2-1 win over Partry Athletic. They took the lead when Martin Carr deflected a ball into his own net after 13 minutes and Ivan Barrett made it two eight minutes later.
Iorras keeper Kian Gallagher saw red with three minutes to go and Partry made it a nervy final few minutes when Conall MacGabhann scored a minute later.
- Report courtesy of the Mayo Football League.
*Full match reports from Ballina Town v Kiltimagh/Knock United, Straide & Foxford United v Westport United, Ballyheane v Castlebar Celtic and the Connacht Junior Shield quarterfinal between Conn Rangers and Nallymote Celtic in tomorrow's print edition of The Connaught Telegraph.