With the Mayo League season put to bed until next spring after the cup finals and play-off, attention turns to national and provincial glory over the winter months. The second round of the Umbro FAI Junior Cup will take centre stage this Sunday all across the county. The big game in this round is the meeting of the newly crowned Super League champions Castlebar Celtic and the cup winners Iorras Aontaithe. The league champions will make the long journey north on Sunday morning to Carnenash to take in what should be a real cup classic. Celtic finished 14 points in front of Iorras in the league standings at the end of the season, with Iorras languishing in mid-table. However the black and red striped side will have been boosted by their recent cup win and Carnenash is never an easy place for any side to go to. When the sides met in the league this year in the same venue Celtic won 2-1 and in the return leg, Celtic handed out a 7-1 hammering on the second last day of the season. Nevertheless, Sunday’s game should be a lot closer than their last league meeting.
Other action in the cup will see Ballina Town host near neighbours Moy Villa, while Claremorris, who pushed for the Super League title all the way in their first season back up, will host Ballyheane. Super League runners-up Westport United will take on a Snugboro United side who managed to stay up in the Premier A division on the last day of the season. Swinford, who were relegated from the Super League, will host a Manulla side who finished just one place in front of them in the league this season. All games are down for kick off at 2pm expect for the meeting of Claremorris and Ballyheane which is down for 2.30pm.
