Ballina Town safely made it through to the sixth round of the FAI Junior Cup last Sunday with a comprehensive 6-1 win over Cashel Celtic in Belleek. Hoping to join them in the next round is the only other Mayo side left in the competition, Iorras Aontaithe, who entertain Carrick United in Carnenash on Sunday at 12pm. The men from Erris went on an amazing cup run last year making it all the way to the semi-final stage of the competition before they were dumped out by the eventual winners, Ballymun United, in Milebush after a close fought battle. This weekend Carrick United from Waterford will make the long 400 mile plus round trip from their southern base to the Erris peninsula. Iorras made it into the open rounds of the competition thanks to a win away to Manulla in the final closed round of the competition in the middle of January, where they came from one down at the break to grab two goals through Brendan Nallen and Ivan Barrett in the closing 10 minutes to get the win.
Ballina Town booked their place in the next round thanks to their six goal haul at home to Cashel Celtic. They were helped in no small way by a first half hat trick from an in form Brendan Lavelle which sealed the result before the turn around. Michael Duffy grabbed a brace in the terminal period with Ros Kenny scoring the other goal from a curling free kick.
It could have been an all Mayo affair in the sixth round of the competition if Straide and Foxford United had been able to win on the road last weekend. But the Mayo men came undone in Ballymun where Shangan Athletic saw them off 3-1. Straide and Foxford recovered from an early setback when Ciaran Ryan dispatched a penalty to the back of the net after 17 minutes, to pull level on the half hour through Chris Downey. But in the second half the Dublin outfit put two more to the back of the Straide and Foxford net to seal the win and a trip to Pete Murray Park in Belleek at the end of the month. This weekend sees Straide and Foxford having a chance to pick themselves straight back up again in the Connacht Cup where they entertain Sligo side Cliffony Celtic at home on Sunday at 2pm in the competitions fourth round.
Last weekend’s action in the competition saw Westport United hold Colmanstown United to a scoreless draw in Colmanstown. The decision of the referee not to play extra time caused a large amount of confusion as both sides were ready to play, but an administrative error left the need to play extra time off the referee’s match card, so he called the game after 90 minutes leaving the need for a replay.
The other Mayo sides in action in the Connacht Cup last weekend both made it through, with Manulla running out 6-0 winners over Coolaney United and Ballyheane picking up a 3-0 win away to Loughglynn.
