Penultimate round in Super League coming up

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

Only 180 minutes separate Ballina Town and the Super League title, Brendan Kenny’s side have been battling it out for the title with Westport United from the off this season and now with only two games to go their destiny is firmly in their hands. The maths is simple, win their last two games and they are champions, nothing Westport can do about it. But with the title on the line they are bound to be feeling almighty pressure over the course of the next two rounds.

End of season competitions sees clubs get ready for winter leagues

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

Ballyhaunis
The Ted Webb memorial stroke play competition was won by John Jordan who scored 68, the same score as Michael Horan with Jordan winning on handicap. Paul Finnegan came third on 70, with Tommy Moran taking the gross also with a 70. The ladies’ section was won by Kung Fanning with a score of 73, Anne Glavey came second with a score of 78, and Mariette Potgieter came third with 80. The gross prize was won by Laurena Freeley who scored 80 off 13. The club will be holding its annual fancy dress party in the club house tonight (October 30) at 9pm.

Connacht host Llanelli with ‘backs to the wall’

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

Rugby

Charlestown make it third time lucky

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

It was third time lucky for Ciaran McBrien’s men last Sunday as they claimed the Moclair Cup thanks to a three point win over Knockmore in the county senior final. The east Mayo men were deserving winners over an injury hit side from north Mayo who lacked the killer punch up front denied to them by the absence of Aidan Kilcoyne and Damien Munnelly, but that is of little worry to Charlestown who went out and did what they had to do. David ‘Ginger’ Tiernan rolled back the years with a tireless display in the middle of the field which saw him rightfully rewarded with a man of the match trophy after the game but good performances from the likes of Richard Haran which saw him score four points, John Casey in goal who pulled off a few good saves one late on when Knockmore were battling for a goal to save the tie and substitute Brian O’Connell who offered them something different in attack when they needed it, during the final scuffles saw them over the line. And after the celebrations died down this week, attention will turn to the Connacht Club championship, a competition the east Mayo men won the last time they were county champions back in 2001.

Mayo athletes do well at Dublin City Marathon

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

Mayo AC had 17 finishers in the Dublin City Marathon, three first time marathoners, many improved times, and all enjoyed the tremendous atmosphere and fantastic Mayo support among the thousands lining the 26.2 mile route. TJ McHugh was the first Mayo AC finisher in a brilliant 2.38, and Tom Waldron brought the team home in an amazing 4.59 in his o70s category. The race incorporated the Irish Marathon Championships and results are being checked by AAI. A quick check of the overall results indicates that three Mayo AC athletes are in with chance of individual medals. The masters men's o35 and o50 teams will also be in the running.

Slipping and sliding around the county finals

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

I took in all three county finals last weekend at McHale Park. Saturday’s Intermediate final between Westport and Tourmakeady was played in atrocious conditions. What a shame that a final had to be played during an evening when sheets of rain and high winds made a lottery of the result. I thought it might have been cancelled and played on Bank Holiday Monday. Apparently, had the game ended in a draw, the replay was scheduled for Monday as the Connacht Intermediate club championship is fixed for this weekend. I am sure both teams would have been more than happy to a rescheduling with extra time being played if necessary. The pitch would also have been saved from the battering it got and would have been in better shape for our big showcase games on Sunday. Martin Connolly, the Westport manager, must have been seriously concerned last Saturday morning when he realised that the final was to be played in a storm. His Westport team are young and light and playing in such conditions against the bigger, stronger, experienced Tourmakeady lads was an advantage conceded. He shouldn’t have worried too much as his charges were that bit fitter and sharper around the field than their opponents and they appeared to get to grips with the awful conditions a little bit better. Playing against the wind in the first half they managed to score two goals which gave them the cushion of a lead at half time when they might have expected to have trailed by a few scores. ‘ Do not concede a goal in the second half’ might have been the chat in the ‘Covey’ dressing room at half time and they would be home and dry (well the first part anyway)! They did that and successfully and manfully weathered the storm as Tourmakeady threw the kitchen sink at them in the closing minutes. Ultimately their success was deserved as I felt they were the better team on the day.

Should Connacht pull out of the inter-pros

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

After being incapable of winning a competition that has only four teams in it, for 40 years, surely it is time for the Connacht council to consider withdrawing completely from the Martin Donnelly inter-provincial series.

Connacht’s participation has become a shambles. Why bother turning up every year to be defeated? Surely if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well and Connacht’s attitude to this competition is not good enough.

Charlestown take the title under lights

Sun, Oct 25, 2009

Charlestown 0-9
Knockmore 0-6

Ballina keep their lead as Westport almost let it slip

Fri, Oct 23, 2009

Ballina Town kept their lead at the top of the Elverys Sports Super League thanks to a 6-1 thumping of Castlebar Celtic last weekend. Celtic who ran Westport so close in the previous round, were well routed by the north Mayo men who are zoning in on the title. But they did have to come from behind after Shane Smyth scored in the seventh minute to put Celtic into the lead, and at the same time Westport were 2-0 down to Ballyheane, leaving all manners of possibilities open for the league. But Ballina got down to business and went for the kill. Brendan Lavelle got the first one back, then he slotted home a second from close range and then bagged a third on the half hour mark and the game was up for Celtic. Ballina made it four before the break from Tom O’Connor and Lavelle got in again just after it to make it 5-1, before Michael Duffy rounded it off to the even half dozen before the end.

Get your swing on at Claremorris open weekend

Fri, Oct 23, 2009

Balla
Last weekend’s stroke play competition saw Mary Gillarad top the ladies’ section with a score of 35; in second place was Marie Flanagan who shot 33 (back nine) the same score as third place Carmel Henry who also shot 33 (back nine). The men’s competition was won by David Martin who scored 38 (back nine), with Vincent Irwin coming home in second place with a 38. Martin Moylette came third with a 37 (back nine) and the youth’s prize went to Simon Smith with a 21.

Good showing from Mayo athletes in cross country events

Fri, Oct 23, 2009

Mayo AC had five runners in the masters categories at the Gerry Farnan cross country race . In the women's three mile event Breege McHale finished in fourth place in the o40 category and Ann Murray was seventh in the o45 section. In the five miles race, Dublin based Seamus Gaughan returned from recent fitness problems to finish seventh in a very competitive o55 category. Robert Malseed was second o35, as was Tom Hunt in the o60. Computer problems meant there was no results on the day, but it was confirmed that Breege McHale, Robert Malseed, and Tom Hunt qualified for the Irish team to go to the B&I Masters cross country in Birmingham, thus maintaining Mayo AC's excellent representation in this event in the past few years. Seventeen-year-old Daniel Murray (Ballina AC) ran impressively in the Junior section over five miles and his 27.10 time put him in the top 12 juniors and top three u18s in the race.

Showdown weekend in senior and intermediate finals

Fri, Oct 23, 2009

There is no shortage of action this weekend on the GAA scene in Mayo with the county senior championship, intermediate championship, and Minor A championship finals taking centre stage.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.