Castlebar Celtic continue to top the Mayo League Masters Division One table after week two of the competition, despite having a bye in the latest round of action. Wins for Fahy Rovers, Ballyhaunis Town, and Manulla saw them all pick up their first points of the season but without the scoring difference to knock Celtic off top spot.
Fahy picked up their first win, and came out on the right side of a tight result, this week with a 4-3 victory over Straide and Foxford United. Two goals from Colin Napier were the catalyst for the west Mayo side while Sean McGreal and Sean O’Connor also hit the net. S&F pushed hard to get themselves back on level terms towards the end of an end to end game but despite goals from Declan Smyth, Brendan McHugh and Michael Prendergast they could not get a leveller.
In the night’s second game Westport United came undone against a determined Ballyhaunis Town side that came back from two goals down in the second-half to win 6-4. A David Cameron hat-trick and a goal from Brian Fahy had turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead for Westport early in the second period. But Ballyhaunis came thundering back into the game for their first win in the top flight thanks to goals from Pavi Nolan, Pat McGee, and a Colin Glavey hat-trick.
In the night’s final game in the top division Manulla made their seasonal bow with a 4-1 demolition of last season’s champions Ballina Town. The north Mayo side were missing Eugene Gorman on the night and without him pulling the strings in midfield they look a complete different team. Des Campbell, Roger Clarke, John Kelly, and Barry Cuffe with the first-half goals for Manulla before Aidan O’Hora pulled one back in the second-half. Ballina dominated after the break but Manulla’s lead was such that they could afford to drop bodies back and protect their goal.
Second division gets up and running
It was division two’s opening night of the season, there were wins for Swinford A, Manulla B and a walkover for Conn Rangers after Mulranny United fail to show up.
Manulla B pulled off a comfortable win in the night’s opening game with a 5-2 victory over Kiltimagh & Knock United. Darragh Lyons and Keith Bourke both hit doubles with Derek Duffy also finding the net on a night when there only ever looked to be one winner. Jerome Hunt and Brian Morley hit back for United, who did not lack in effort, but it was not enough against a good Manulla side.
Following Conn Rangers' walkover victory Swinford A took on Swinford B in the evening’s final game. This one had a good bit of bite and niggle to the game as the local rivals, Swinford B who are made up of players from Urlaur United & Charlestown Athletic, went toe to toe. The A side came back from behind on two occasions to grab a 3-2 victory. Goals from Billy Murphy and Jakub Gawalkiewicz had the B team leading 1-0 and 2-1 early in each half. But Eoin Gallagher and Paul Halligan goals kept Swinford A in the game before a late smash from Eamon Byrne gave the A team bragging rights on the opening night.
