By the time the action comes to a conclusion this weekend across all the divisions the half way point of the league season will have been reached. In the Elverys Sports Super League last night Westport United and Iorras Aontaithe will have played the final catch up game, to leave all sides having played six games going into this weekend’s round of games. If Westport United pick up the points in that game they will have pushed themselves into second place in the table, while an Iorras win would see them move ahead of Westport into third place in the table, jumping from their current position of third bottom in the table.
It is that tight at the moment in the league, apart from Ballina Town who are out in front on 16 points and Claremorris who are rock bottom with three points, all the other six sides in the division are separated by only four points. That is from Ballyheane in second place (at the time of writing ) and Snugboro United who are second from bottom, in one of the relegation places. There is potential for plenty of movement up and down those six rungs over this Sunday’s round of games.
This will be the first full round of games in the division since mid-June with Cup action taking place over the last two weekends. The first of the games to get under way is the meeting of Ballyheane and Manulla at 12 noon (the early kick-off is due to Manulla B taking part in the McDonnell Cup final in Milebush at 3pm ). Ballyheane along with Ballina Town remain unbeaten so far in the league and will be hoping to keep that run up against the Carramore based side. Manulla are coming into the game on the back of a 5-2 defeat away to Westport United in the Connacht Gold Cup second round last weekend, after holding the same opposition to 2-2 draw in the last round of league games.
As already mentioned, Westport United were playing a catch up game against Iorras Aontaithe on Thursday night, they will then face a quick two day turn around when they take on Snugboro United at home on Sunday. Snugboro United hit the ground running in the early rounds of the league, but have fallen off the wagon a bit of late and it will be a big test for them to come home with anything against a rejuvenated Westport United side, who seem to have got themselves back on track after a shaky league start. Castlebar Celtic will be expecting to pick up their third win of the season when they host rock-bottom Claremorris in Celtic Park. It has been a tough season so far for a transitional Celtic side who have lost three times already this season, the most recent defeat in their last game, going down 4-1 to Westport United. The final game of the weekend in the top division is the meeting of Iorras Aontaithe and Ballina Town in Carnenash. Ballina have been in seriously impressive form this season so far, but with Iorras capable of beating any of the big sides in the top division on their own patch any day, this game is not a gimmie for the league leaders.
First silverware to be handed out on Sunday
Newport Town have been kicking up a storm in the Welcome Inn Hotel League Two so far this season. With seven wins from their first nine games, they sit three points clear of their nearest challengers Kiltimagh/Knock United B and are undefeated in the league this season so far. On Sunday afternoon, the club that only reformed a couple of years ago, is looking to put their first piece of silverware on the mantle since they rose out of the ashes, when they take on Manulla B in the final of the McDonnell Cup in Milebush Park at 3pm.
Newport have rattled the back of the net 24 times in their nine league games, and in this competition have seen off the challenge of Straide and Foxford United B and the Ballyvary Blue Bomber. Manulla for their own part have hit the back of the net twice more than Newport Town in the league so far this season, but sit seven points behind their opponents in the league table. On route to the final they have seen off the challenge of two sides which sit in front of them in the league table, Castlebar Celtic C and Kiltimagh/Knock United B, and will be looking to take the scalp off the only other side who are in front of them in the league table at this stage of the season.
