Castlebar Celtic are on the look-out for a new manager for their Super League team - after they announced on Monday night that Michael McNicholas had been 'relieved of his duties at the club'.
Celtic - who are the defending Super League champions after last year's competition wasn't concluded due to Covid-19 - got their league season off to a poor start on Saturday evening when the were beaten 4-0 by Claremorris in Concannon Park. In a statement released by the club on Monday evening, they said: "Castlebar Celtic can this evening announce that Michael Mc Nicholas has been relieved of his duties at the club. The club would like to thank him for his professionalism over the years and the joy he brought to Celtic Park when we were Crowned 2019 Superleague Champions. He will always be welcome to Celtic Park and we wish him all the best for the future."
Celtic will be back in action on Saturday evening when they take on Ballyglass in Celtic Park as they look to get back to winning ways as soon as possible. In their outing last week, Danny Broderick gave Claremorris the lead in the first half and that was followed in the second period by a Mark Maloney brace and a fourth goal from Caolan Walsh, to round off the scoring for the Concannon Park outfit.
They will be making the trip to Beleek Park on Sunday afternoon to take on a Ballina Town side who also tasted defeat last weekend when they were beaten 3-2 by Ballyheane at home. It all looked to be going well for the north Mayo outfit when they went 2-0 up thanks to goals from Benny Lavelle and Matthew Cowan, with Lavelle also missing a penalty. Ballyheane got back into the game when Liam Irwin smashed home their first goal not long before the break. In the second half, Ashley Stevenson's side took the game by the scruff of the neck to win - thanks to goals from Jack Tuffy 15 minutes from the end, while ten minutes from the final whistle, Ben Edeh was able to send the ball to the back of the net to seal the win for the visitors.
Ballyheane will be at home on Saturday evening to a Glenhest Rovers side who pulled off another of the opening round surprises by holding Westport United to a 0-0 draw in United Park. United will be now looking to get their league season up and running when they travel to Swinford, who were on the wrong side of a five-goal thriller against Ballyhaunis Town in Station Rise, with the Ballyhaunis goals coming from Dayo Adex, Andy Cunnane and Prince Osumu and Swinford's coming from a Richie Dalton effort and an own goal from Ballyhaunis Town.
The east Mayo men will be on the road this weekend to take on a Manulla side who were also involved in a five-goal encounter last weekend, one which they came out on the wrong side of against Ballyglass, who played the majority of the game with just ten men. Aiden Dunleavy put Maunalla in front early in the second half, that was responded to quickly by a Kevin Murray goal - before Dunleavy put Manulla back in front and it looked like it would be enough for them to take the points. But a surge from Ballyglass in the final ten minutes saw Evan Connolly grab a brace of goals to seal the win for his side and send them heading to this weekend's clash with a manager-less Castlebar Celtic in good stead.
Super League Fixtures
Saturday, July 24 at 7pm: Ballyheane v Glenhest Rovers; Castlebar Celtic v Ballyglass. Sunday; July 25 at 11am: Swinford v Westport United, Manulla v Ballyhaunis Town, Ballina Town v Claremorris (at 2.30pm ).
