Centurions Celtic the team to catch as Mayo Super League kicks off

by Caoimhín Rowland

CENTURIONS Castlebar Celtic are the men to catch this season.

The club's 100 years celebrations this year follow after a phenomenal 2023 Super League win, which saw them go the entire season unbeaten and secure the Tom Kelly Cup with aplomb.

Everyone in Mayo’s top division will be gunning for Celtic, but that’s a fact manager Stevie Gavin and his squad will surely relish. “Myself and Dec (Flynn) have been involved in football for a very long time.

Everyone starts at zero, but there are five competitions we think we can do well in,” Gavin said.

At 2024 season launch, Mayo League chairman Seamus Hughes spoke about Castlebar Celtic being the standard bearers of Mayo football, while several managers and players in attendance spoke about fearing Celtic and admiring their success on the pitch.

Yet Gavin has no time for what he describes as early season soft talk.

“No one will be terrified of us,” he said. “We have to be ready for the challenge.

"We have no divine right to win any game of football, and last year stands for nothing – it’s a new season and anyone can win the league.”

As frightening as Celtic were last season, new additions have come to Celtic Park.

Cathal Coyne has returned to boost options in the middle of the park, which is a hugely exciting development.

Coyne returns home after a spell playing at Cumberland University in Tennessee, USA, obtaining a degree in business.

He was named captain of his university side in 2022 and was included on the Mid-South Conference Team of the Year.

He’s a player of huge pedigree and will be joined by returning talented playmaker Dylan Edwards.

The Roscommon man has linked up for the 2024 campaign, and there isn’t a better dead ball specialist in the county than Edwards.

Liam Flatley is also a boost to Castlebar Celtic.

Work commitments mean he is only available every other week but his pedigree as a former Republic of Ireland youth international is well respected in Mayo, and signs once again are pointing to further domination for Celtic.

The loss of Johnny Cocozza will be an early blow but it is one that Celtic’s impressive conveyor belt of talent can deal with, especially with such high calibre incomings darkening the door of Celtic Park for the year ahead.

A familiar 4-3-3 will be deployed once more by Celtic.

It’s a formation that has brought immense success for the club's B team and underage sides, as well as the senior outfit.

Celtic want to allow their players to express themselves, making it pleasing football as a spectator.

There is a talented crop at Celtic’s disposal, players that are technically gifted and physically sharp who are all capable of playing through the lines with a refreshing modern brand of football.

Keen to not get too complacent, Gavin warned: “We were beaten a number of times last season. People might forget that with the league success but cup competitions posed a difficulty for Celtic.”

In particular, there was a heartbreaking loss to Athenry in the Connacht Cup final in Umbro Park, Milebush, which lives long in supporters' memories, and does the Super Cup semi-final defeat to Ballina Town.

“We never blew anyone away by huge margins. What we won we did through grit and hard work,” Gavin concluded, highlighting to his players that no side ever won leagues on reputation alone.

Celtic are not in Super League action this weekend, however, as they face Cartron United in the last 16 of the Connaught Cup in Sligo on Sunday afternoon.