This weekend sees the Mayo soccer season really kick into life, with the premier division and Down being in action over the last few weeks, the time has now come for the Super League sides to get in on the action. Westport United will be looking to make it three titles in a row this season and following on from their extra time Connacht Senior Cup victory over Athenry last weekend they have been set up perfectly for the new domestic season. The Coveys will start their campaign away to Manulla in Carrowmore on Saturday evening. Padraig Burns and Kevin Cusack’s team should expect a tough encounter from the central Mayo side who are capable of taking on and beating anyone on the day, especially at home. The league’s three promoted sides, Straide and Foxford United, Kilmore, and Fahy Rover all face a tough start to the season.
While Straide and Foxford should expect to make themselves comfortable back in the top tier of the division after their year in the Premier Division, they will still be hoping to pick up at least a point away to a Snugboro United side who started last season like an express train before running out of steam over the final few laps as the season wound down. Fahy will make their way to Celtic Park to take on the home side who have been shorn of their star players who are now with the FAI A League side, and the Rovers will fancy their chances of taking the scalp of what is effectively a Celtic B team in their backyard. Kilmore are the other newcomers to the division and they have to contented with a north Mayo derby when Ballina Town come to visit. Ballina have been a side who have promised a lot over the last couple of years without delivering any silverware to show for it and they will be hoping this year will be their year.
Senior Cup action for other sides
There is also plenty of local interest in the FAI Senior Cup this weekend. On Sunday both Iorras Aontaithe and Castlebar Celtic will be involved in the second round of the competition. Iorras will welcome the famous Dublin football nursery Cherry Orchard to Carne Nash, while Celtic will be making the long trip south to take on Mayfield, with a prize of a place in the third round up for grabs.
Celtic continue to take on country
Not content with having a side in the Newstalk Eircom A League, Castlebar Celtic have also announced that they are entering a team in the League of Ireland u20 league. When the competition was an u21 league Celtic entered it two years ago, only to be disqualified from the competition last year because they did not have a side in the A League at the time.
