Sligo Rovers are expected to bring a strong squad with them to Westport on Saturday evening when they play Westport United in a special challenge match to mark Westport United’s recent victory in the Connacht Cup. Both teams are currently in the middle of a mid-season break, to accommodate the 2012 European Championships, and this game is being viewed in both camps as ideal preparation for the second half of the season.
Westport United has taken full points from their opening six games in the Mayo Super League and they are eagerly looking forward to this fixture. “Footballers are always looking to test themselves against quality opposition and our players are really looking forward to the opportunity to pitting themselves against the top team in the country,” said Westport United joint-manager, Kieran Mulchrone.
“Sligo have had a wonderful start to the season and they deserve to be in the position they are in. Everyone involved in the game is aware of the talent they possess and the style of football they play and it’s a game that we’re relishing. There’s a huge difference between junior football and the Premier Division of the League of Ireland but we believe that we have a group of very talented footballers and it will be really interesting to see how they cope against some of the best players around,” said Kieran’s colleague, James Fahy.
Tom Tarmey, the chairman of Westport United, is delighted to welcome Sligo Rovers to Westport next Saturday evening. “It’s a real honour for our club to play host to a club of the stature of Sligo Rovers and I sincerely hope they enjoy their stay in our town. Both towns would be regarded as having strong support bases for the sport and I am encouraging all our own supporters, and soccer supporters form around Mayo, to come to the Sports Park on Saturday evening next and enjoy the game.
“It’s really exciting times for Westport United. We’ve just won the Connacht Cup and we’re unbeaten after six games in the Super League and on top of that we had three of our underage teams in Connacht Cup finals. Off the field, there’s a huge amount of work going on in securing new facilities for the club while the Sports Park has had significant work carried out on it over the past few months,” he said.
So then, if you’re tiring of watching the football from the couch, why not see the beautiful game in the flesh on Saturday evening next. We promise you won’t be disappointed. The game kicks off at 7pm in the Sports Park in Westport, admission is €10 for adults and €5 for students.
