It’s not too often you see a team short of up to eight guys who could be considered starters run out five goal winners and score seven in a game, but then not many teams are Westport United. Last weekend there was no mercy shown by the Covies when they steamrolled Charlestown Athletic in the Sportspark, thanks to a four goal return from injury time in the first half until the ninth minute of the second half.
As the game ticked into injury time in the first half, Charlestown could have been pretty happy with how they performed even if they were 1-0 down. But once Michael O’Rourke scored their second goal just before the break, the home-team powered through the gears and turned on the style with their last two goals from Vinny O’Malley and Darren Browne rounding off the 7-2 win fit to grace any game. The win moved the Covies to the top of the table and they are now the only team with a 100 per cent record, sending out an ominous message to their rivals.
Castlebar Celtic who they beat in round one, picked up their first win in the league with a 2-0 win over Straide and Foxford United last Saturday night thanks to two first half goals from Gerard O’Boyle and Stephen Walsh. Walsh’s goal looked to have been intended as a cross, but the full back’s delivery couldn’t have been hit any better if he tried as it nestled in the top corner of the net. Credit must go to Aidan Flatley’s side who came out a fired up team and they peppered the Celtic goal in the second half, but they just couldn’t find the goal they needed to open the game up again. Having won their opening two games, how Straide and Foxford react to this setback will be watched keenly.
The new season is only a few weeks old and we already have our first managerial departure of the season, with Noel Tuffy stepping down from Ballyheane after only one game. The Hane were made to dig deep last Sunday in Attymass, when the home side went into a 2-0 lead inside the first 25 minutes with John Durkan and John Casey grabbing the goals for Moy Villa. Ballyheane cut the gap to one with a Damien Walsh goal on the hour mark and four minutes from the end Robert Ehlert who poked the ball home from close range after a Peter Burke flick on from a corner. Both sides will meet again in the FCS Cup on Saturday evening in the same venue.
Ballina Town bounced back from their surprise home defeat to Straide and Foxford United the previous week, with a 3-0 win over Iorras Aontaithe on the road. Three first half goals from ace marksman Brenda Lavelle, Daniel Gorman, and a Pádraic Doherty own goal had the destination of the points decided, before the half time cup of tea,
Manulla picked up their second win on the bounce with a come from behind 3-1 win over Fahy Rovers in Moneen last Sunday. Darren Creaby had put the home side into the lead on the half hour, but an injury time goal from Mark Mongan sent the teams in level at the turnaround. Shane Durkan and Ben Freyne struck goals with in six minutes of each other to push the visitors into a two goal lead they held on to until the final whistle.
In the Premier A, Ballyglass maintained their 100 per cent start with a 4-2 win over Claremorris, similarly in the Premier B Glenhest Rovers made it three wins from three with a 10-2 win over Iorras Aontaithe B. The Glenhest men have scored an amazing 22 goals in just 270 minutes of football this season, the next nearest to them in goal scoring terms in the division is third placed Kiltimagh/Knock United who’ve hit the back of the net seven times. In League One Bangor Hibs and Manulla B are both on six points on the top of the table with, while Fahy Rovers B are currently top of League Two with nine points from their three games.
