Quinn nicks it for Ballina Town

Sun, Apr 26, 2015

Ballina Town left it late on Saturday evening to claim their third win on the bounce in the Elverys Sports Super League, but they were full deserving of their 2-1 win away to Castlebar Celtic in Celtic Park. The game was delayed for just under 45 minutes early in the first half when Ballina Town full-back Dara O’Boyle twisted his leg badly on the clubhouse side of the ground and had to be removed by ambulance from the pitch. The game was further held up when referee Martin Regan wasn’t happy with the pressure in the match balls on a number of occasions in the first half, which ended just 25 seconds shy of an hour and a half after it kicked off.

Regan suffers injury set back

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

Ballina Stephenites attacker Evan Regan suffered a reoccurrence of the injury that ruled him out of the majority of the Allianz National Football League on Tuesday night in training. The young Ballina attacker broke his collar-bone in training with Mayo which is expected to rule him out of action for another 12 weeks until mid July. This will rule Regan out of action for Mayo’s championship opener against Galway/Leitrim or New York on June 16, with Connacht final taking place on Sunday, July 19.

Winning matters more than the spectacle

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

After the horror show a few weeks ago in Croke Park between Dublin and Derry in the National League, opinion is again divided as regards the state of Gaelic football. That game finished 0-8 to 0-4 in Dublin’s favour with many describing it as the worst game of all time. It really upset Joe Brolly who apparently left the game early with his young son such was his disgust at what he was watching.

The following evening on 2fm’s Game On Brolly described the current trend of copycat negative football as “myxomatosis” with terrible football tactics spreading right down to underage teams who would succumb to anything necessary in pursuit of victory. Brolly had a right go at Tyrone manager Mickey Harte who declared that football was about results, not entertaining the public. He also had a pop at young pundits who found the negative tactics and “blanket defence” fascinating. I’m sure Joe watched both the national league semi-finals that were extremely high scoring and entertaining and exciting to say the least, so I find his criticism a little over the top after one dreadful game.

Back to the basics on Sunday

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

After a weekend without any action in the top divisions of the Mayo GAA senior leagues, round two of the senior football leagues. Ballintubber who saw off Breaffy in round one in an ill tempered affair that saw both Seamus and Aidan O’Shea along with Ruaidhri O’Connor get red carded will host Ballina Stephenites on Sunday afternoon. The north Mayo men went down by a single point to Hollymount-Carramore in the first round of games and facing the defending championship winners will be another serious examination for them early on this season. The aforementioned men from south Mayo will host another north Mayo outfit when Knockmore come calling on Sunday afternoon. Knockmore earned a hard-fought point in their first game when they drew 1-8 a piece with Kiltane thanks to a last-gasp, Kieran Lanagan goal a fortnight ago.

Super League previews

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

Ballyheane v Westport United
Saturday April 25 at 6.30pm

Iorras Aontaithe look to take down big guns

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

The last Mayo League side standing the Connacht Junior Cup will be looking to take a big scalp when they head to Galway on Sunday afternoon. Iorras Aontaithe will take on Mervue United in the quarter-final stages of the competition and look to do what fellow Super League side Ballyheane were unable to do in the last round, knock out the Galway city outfit. Mervue are currently sitting in second place in the Premier Division in Galway, five points behind leaders Athenry, with one game left to go in the league and are one of five Galway sides to make the last eight of the Connacht Junior Cup.

All tight at the top early on

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

In the Welcome Inn Premier A there are three sides locked together at the top of the table with Glenhest Rovers, Westport United B, and Killala all level on six points after two wins from two for the three sides. Glenhest Rovers followed up their 7-0 win over Moy Villa in round one with a 1-0 win over Swinford last weekend on the road, with Paul McLoughlin scoring the goal. This weekend they face a Kiltimagh/Knock United side who have neither won nor lost a game this season, drawing in both their outings against Claremorris and Castlebar Celtic B. Westport United B will take on Castlebar Celtic B on Sunday as they look to keep their 100 per cent record up. Last Saturday night they had a 3-0 win over Partry Athletic with Mark McNally, Paul Geraghty, and Jordan Ring finding the net. The other side with six points so far, Killala, will take on Swinford on Sunday, last time out Killala had a 3-1 win over Moy Villa who have found it hard to adjust to the life after the Super League so far this season, losing both their opening two games.

Achill Rovers are the only side with a 100 per cent record in the Premier B after two rounds, they picked up their second win with a 6-1 win over Ballyhaunis Town last Sunday to follow up their 3-0 win over Newport Town in week one. On Saturday they will take on a Ballinrobe Town smarting from an 8-0 loss to Mulranny United. Both Bangor Hibs and Mulranny United are sitting in joint second place with a win and a draw to their names after two rounds. This weekend will see the Hibs take on Conn Rangers B as they look for their second win following their 4-2 win over Manulla B last weekend. Newport Town and Snugboro United played out a 2-2 draw last weekend with a Joey McDonnell penalty grabbing a point at the death for the Boro. This weekend Snugboro United are at home to Urlar while Newport Town will travel to Ballyhaunis.

Connacht prepare for all-firing Glasgow at fortress Sportsground

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

All the odds are stacked against the home side when Connacht face league leaders Glasgow Warriors tomorrow lunchtime in the Galway Sportsground. Continuing injuries have robbed Pat Lam of 13 members of his 40-strong squad - the smallest in the Pro 12 League - and when up against a Scottish team that boasts 37 players with international experience, the challenge facing Connacht is as daunting as ever.

Strong scoring in the sunshine

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

Balla
Jimmy Sheridan was the winner of the Gift Supreme sponsored gents’ competition with a score of 38pts. His back nine place held off the challenge of Steven Walsh who also finished with a score of 38pts, with Fenton Barrett coming home in third place. The ladies’ competition was won by Mary Conlon who scored 39pts, Patricia Conwell finished in second place with Nora Gibbons coming home in third spot. Gibbons also scored a hole-in-one on the fourth hole.

Maher claims national title for Castlebar Boxing Club

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

There was much celebration in Castlebar Boxing Club recently as Dillon Maher brought home a national title to the club. Dillon won the Boy 1, 54kg division crown in style with a 3-0 win in the final, having stopped his opponent in the second round of his semi-final with a technical knock-out. It was the culmination of a long round through both the Mayo and Connacht championships for Dillon.

Mayo AC women’s o35 team take national 10k gold

Fri, Apr 24, 2015

Mayo AC had 16 runners in the recent National 10k Championships and came away with medals in team and individual sections. Results published by Athletics Ireland show that in the women's o35 Mayo AC won team gold - led home by Colette Tuohy, Mary Gleeson, and Chris Gallagher - a wonderful performance to be first of 29 club teams in this category and retain the title they won in 2014.

Celtic and Westport get back to winning ways

Mon, Apr 20, 2015

Castlebar Celtic are on the look out for a new manager after Stevie Gavin stepped down from his position after their 7-2 win over Straide and Foxford on Sunday afternoon in Green Road. The news of Gavin’s departure will come as a shock so early in the season, which is only two games old.

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