Castlebar Celtic keep on winning but how far is the limit?
by Caoimhín Rowland
There’s such an ooze of cool, class and calmness about this Castlebar Celtic side.
Their recent and successive Connaught Cup win was indicative of such class from the gallant Hoops.
They did not win in style but found a way to creep over the line. Finals are indeed for winning, and like Ange Postecoglu, Stevie Gavin wins in his second season.
Indeed Celtic, like Tottenham Hostpur, didn’t play pretty. Their centre-half, Ioseph O’Reilly, was immense in leading from the back, his guile and ability to stir a youthful and ill-tempered but talented Mervue United attacking unit was one of the few points of intrigue and entertainment in an otherwise drab affair.
Celtic now await their opponents in the FAI Senior Men’s Cup.
Fingers crossed for Stevie Gavin that he and his players get their wish of a top Airtricity League side.
Indeed, it’s really rather something to see Castlebar Celtic nestled between Bohemians, Bray Wanderers, Cobh Ramblers and Cork City. You would fear, considering Celtic’s luck in recent FAI draws, that it will be a tough trip away to St. Michael’s in Tipperary.
Celtic will dream and know the answer to their second round opponents after this June bank holiday.
Then the planning and preparation can get underway and a tantalising prospect of Gavin versus Damien Duff in Celtic Park as title holders Shelbourne make their way toward Pavilion Road.
Still, Celtic will have to maintain their trademark laser-like focus to retain the Elverys Sport Super League. Westport United are a different beast now under new boss Anthony O’Neill.
The Coveys have started scoring again, retained their defensive solidity, and have seen Dylan O’Malley blister to the top of the golden boot charts. Indeed, as noted by the gentlemen on the Mayo soccer podcast, it’s been a gong dominated by Jordan Loftus and Ballina Town’s Benny Lavelle in recent memory but O’Malley has been nothing short of sensational.
In 10 games the Westport winger has netted 12 times and provided 13 assists. Levi Barrett of Glenhest Rovers has notched eight from right-back, proving Rovers don’t rely solely on McCarthy and Mulchrone to fill their boots.
Lavelle has returned to full fitness under Mick Duffy and you can’t count out the Town as the former amateur international is rebuilding a formidable side at Belleek, but it will take time.
An important asterisk must be noted, however: Castlebar Celtic have four games to play on their opponents and will be keen to hoover up the distance between themselves and the top two, Glenhest Rovers and Westport United, in the coming weeks ahead.
It's a task the back-to-back Connaught Cup champions will be ready for. Indeed, they need it to remain at their devastating best.
As the Super League bored to an inevitable conclusion last season, it did no favours to fans or for the Hoops.
A strong Westport United and Ballina Town is essential for football in Mayo, but so too is the resurgence beyond any realm of belief of Glenhest Rovers.
It’s no overnight success by the ‘Hest but sitting above behemoths and beating the likes of Ballyheane with ease, these are days the boys who light up Beltra could only have ever dreamt about. How long they can sustain this scintillating spell of form is anyone’s guess but they’ll continue to be the neutrals’ favourites.
With Mayo GAA struggling to decipher its arse from its elbow, the club championship still many weeks away, the inter-county bandwagon has left town for Galway supporters to enjoy, Mayo FC will enter the local footballing consciousness at a good time.
Indeed, like Celtic, they need a strong league. The embryonic League of Ireland side will need its lifeblood in the Mayo Football League to be as competitive as possible to continue its noble pursuit toward entering the national league at senior level.
This week has seen continuing trouble at Athlone Town, where they have struggled since losing partnership with Valeo and failing to secure new financing, resulting in the loss of their manager and five senior players.
We all know how expensive it is to run a team.
Mayo FC will enter the national north amateur third tier next August but as many of the teams interested are from Dublin, there will be a lot of travelling ahead and a major headache for the nascent club will arise.
Perhaps with Mayo GAA looking close to a toxic brand, it will be the soccer boys reaping the rewards and courting sport mad sponsors in the county instead?