In a truncated round two of the Elverys Sports Super League where the games between Ballyheane and Westport United and Castlebar Celtic and Moy Villa were postponed the big news from the weekend was Straide and Foxford United's 2-0 win away to the champions Ballina Town in Belleek on Sunday afternoon. The newly promoted side who picked up a 3-2 win away to Manulla last weekend made it two wins from two so far this season with the goals coming from Conor Sherry and Stephen Wallace. The tangerine clad side will be looking to make it three wins from three next week when they host Castlebar Celtic on the banks of the Moy. On Saturday night another of the Super League new-boys Charlestown Athletic who earned a point against Ballyheane last weekend thanks to two late goals picked up their first win of the season with a 2-1 win over Fahy Roves in Charlestown. Goals from Jacob Gawalkiewicz and Thomas Meehan put the east Mayo side into a 2-0 lead, before Fahy Rovers cut the gap back to a single goal after finding the net from the penalty spot. Next up for Charlestown Athletic is a trip to the Sportspark and a game against Westport United next Sunday afternoon.
In a sun drenched Carramore, Manulla picked up their first win of the new season coming from a goal behind to see off Iorras Anotaithe 3-1 in the Spring sunshine. (While the sun was shining, the decision of one of the linesmen to forgo his boots in favour of just wearing socks in the first half was an unexpected sight this early in the year ). Manulla had most of the play in the contest against a battling Iorras team, but they failed to test Phelim Munnelly often enough in the first half, with Rory Martyn and Ben Frayne going close on a couple of occasions each. The visitors took the lead after 64 minutes when Eamon Carey drove the ball past James Jennings with a sweet strike from the edge of the area. That goal stunned Manulla into action and they leveled the game up two minutes later when Rory Martyn slotted the ball home from a knockdown by Shane Durkan. Five minutes later Durkan put his team in front with a powerful header from a well worked short corner. The game was made safe nine minutes from time, when Keith Burke skipped past two defenders down the left wing and placed the ball in the far corner of the net, less than a minute after his introduction from the bench. Next weekend Manulla will make the short trip to Moneen to take on Fahy Rovers while Iorras will host Ballina Town in the big north Mayo derby.
In the Premier A division on Sunday there were wins for Westport United B who put five past Partry Athletic, Killala who took the points thanks to a 2-1 win over Snugboro United in Conway Park and Claremorris who beat Urlar United 2-0 on the road. On Saturday evening Swinford took home the points with a 2-0 win over Conn Rangers, while Ballyglass were 3-1 winners against Castlebar Celtic B at home.
Ballyglass went in leading 1-0 at the break thanks to a Danny Broderick goal. The 'Candystrpies' striker got on the end of a kick-out from Callum Murray that was flicked into his path by a Celtic defender trying to clear the ball. Broderick showed great composure to lift the ball over the advancing Paul Daly and find the back of the net. Broderick made it 2-0 nine minutes into the second half when his free from the right hand side, beat Daly at his near post. The Celtic goalkeeper will be disappointed not to have kept that one out. The visitors did get themselves back in the game not long after when Kevin Flanagan found the net from a Shane Gormley cross, but their task was made even harder when Brian McNulty was dismissed for a second yellow card not long after. Celtic pushed for an equaliser and threw caution to the wind over the closing stages and Ballyglass squandered a number of chances to kill the game off until the 88th minute when Darren Murray sealed the win with his goal after being played in by Broderick.
In the Premier B, there were wins for Mulranny United, Glenhest Rovers, Conn Rangers B, Kiltimagh-Knock United and Achill Rovers. While in League One Bangor Hibs and Manulla B were the winners with Crossmolina and Straide and Foxford United B sharing the points. In League Two, Ballina Town B, Fahy Rovers B and Hollister all picked up wins over the weekend.
