There might be only two rounds completed in the Mayo League, but both Ballina Town and Westport United laid down serious markers of their intentions for the season. While Westport have been pressing success on a number of fronts over the winter Ballina were left to plot for the new season. Ballina Town backed up their tight win over Castlebar Celtic in round one with a 9-1 demolition of Snugboro United in Conway Park last weekend. John Durkan bagged a hat-trick as Ballina Town put the newly promoted side to the sword and did their own goal difference no harm in the process. It was never likely that anyone was going to come close to the nine goal haul Ballina put on the scoreboard, but Westport United gave it a good go as they beat Claremorris 6-0 in Concannon Park in Claremorris. J P O’Gorman scored half of his side’s total as they hit the whole half-dozen from the 27th minute to the 70th of this one sided contest. Westport will play their second league of the season this weekend when they take on Ballyheane in the Sportspark tomorrow at 6.30pm in a catch up game. The men from outside Castlebar got their league campaign off to a start last weekend with a 1-1 draw away to Iorras Aontaithe in Carnenash, thanks to an injury time equaliser from Arek Tobiasz after David Reilly had put the home side into the lead on the hour mark from the penalty spot.
The other game in the top division last weekend saw Castlebar Celtic’s title ambitions take another massive hit when Manulla made the short trip into Celtic Park and went home with the points following a 3-2 win. The home side went into a first minute lead when Ioseph O’Reilly scored from close range. Manulla levelled the game up when Paddy Canavan finished from close range following a scramble in the box three minutes later to get the game off to a blistering start. Ollie Cunningham’s drive from the edge of the area put Celtic into the lead, but three minutes later Gary Durkan put the sides level again. That was the way it remained until injury time when Canavan headed home from close range to give Manulla a 3-2 win and send them home with the points.
