Search Results for 'Alan Gough'

The Mayo League last week announced the appointment of Claremorris manager Michael Hutton as the new manager of the Mayo League team for its upcoming Oscar Traynor campaign. Joining Hutton’s backroom team is Paul Ginty who will take on the role of fitness coach/trainer and Paul Byrne who will be one of the coaches. Tommy Rumley will be the kit manager with Padraig McHale the team liaison officer. Mayo have been drawn in a three team group including the Roscommon League and the Sligo Leitrim League.

Ballina Town manager Alan Gough always had a difficult task this season, taking over from Brendan Kenny who had just taken the side to back to back Super League titles. But Gough has managed to steer his side, which is in a transition period, to second place in the table - within striking distance of Castlebar Celtic, with half of the season left. Last weekend Gough faced a tough task in bringing his side to Swinford, the team he guided to safety last season in a year when four teams were relegated.

Castlebar Celtic will look to extend their lead at the top of the Elverys Sports Super League this weekend when they face Ballinrobe Town. Declan Kilkelly’s side currently sit top of the table with two wins and a draw from their opening three games, while Ballinrobe Town are pointless at the bottom of the table. Celtic had last weekend off with their FCS Cup game against Manulla postponed until Thursday fortnight (May 19), while Ballinrobe Town exited the competition after losing to Claremorris at home. Claremorris are currently in second place in the Super League thanks to two wins from their opening trio of games.

It’s all about to kick off across the soccer pitches of the county for another long and winding season. On Saturday evening the action will kick off in the Premier A, Premier B, League One and League Two of the Mayo League at 6pm. On Sunday the big boys will get to grips with each other in the Super League along with the basement boys in League 3. This year the action in Mayo is spread across six different divisions with eight sides in each of the top five divisions and ten in the bottom tier. The league will be operating a two-up and two-down system of promotion and relegation across all divisions and come September 4 it should all be over for all the sides in the county. With only 14 games to be played in any of the top five divisions, a couple of losses could rule any side out of contention early doors and leave the battling it out at the bottom of the table.

Castlebar Celtic are facing into a their opening game of the Newstalk A League this weekend with a injury crisis on their hands. Celtic will be without the services of Shane Hynes, Gary Price, Stevie Gavin, Ashley Stevenson, and Pat Fitzgerald on Saturday due to injury. But more importantly it looks like they will be without goalkeepers Danny O’Leary who has a groin injury and Robert Hennelly leaving them without a recognised number one between the posts. Castlebar Celtic manager Declan Kilkelly told the Mayo Advertiser this week, “ Danny had a great game last weekend against Carlow, but he played with a groin injury, he’s seeing a specialist, but we don’t know if he’ll be able to play any part in the game.” With no recognised goalkeeper available, Kilkelly could be in line for a place between the sticks himself for Celtic. “At the moment it looks like it could be me or an outfield player, but I’d prefer not to have to play, we just have to wait and see for now.”

While the Super League continues apace this weekend, from the Premier Division down all the clubs are out in cup action. Claremorris currently sit on top of the Premier Division, with two wins from two, and have a long trek to Kilmore to contend with on Sunday afternoon. Claremorris manager Michael Hutton is not looking forward to the trip. “It’s a long two hour journey from here, so it’s going to be a long day on Sunday to go up there and come back home.” The Claremorris manager has seen his side start the new season with two wins out of two which leaves them top of the table. Last weekend they saw off second placed Ballinrobe Town 6-1 away from home marking them out as early season potential promotion candidates. “One swallow doesn’t make a summer and all that, it’s very early days yet in the season and we’re not getting carried away. Our first aim is to ensure that we don’t end up in relegation trouble and push on from there, it’s a very tough league that will be very tight at both the top and bottom,” was Hutton’s assessment of the league.”

At the start of every season winning the title is the ultimate goal for most sides, but in this years Elvery’s Sports Super League avoiding the drop is a big a concern for a lot of teams. This year will see four sides dropping out of the top division before it becomes a more compact and competitive eight team league for the 2011 campaign. Last year only one team (Kilmore) dropped out of the top flight with Swinford replacing them this season, after Westport United B won the Premier Division title but were not allowed to come up. But this year if you finish between 10th and seventh place in the league and you are dropping through the trap door.

The last chance of a Mayo side bringing national glory at junior level back to the county this season disappeared last Sunday when Ballina Town bowed out at the sixth round stage of the FAI Junior Cup. Shangan Athletic, who had seen off Straide and Foxford United in the previous round, came out victorious once again over Mayo opposition; this time they saw off Mayo’s top side. Despite going one up and being in control of the game early on Ballina conceded three first-half goals in quick succession and were never able to get back into the contest.

Ballina Town will be looking to pick themselves up from last weekends defeat at the hands of Ballinasloe Town in the Connacht Cup fourth round at home this Sunday where they have a place in the FAI Junior Cup seventh round at stake. Standing in their way in Beleek are Shangan Athletic from Dublin who overcame the challenge of Straide and Foxford United in the last round of the competition. Ballina came from three goals down before half time last weekend to pull the game back to 3-2 but were not able to find that third goal they needed to force the game level. Mick Duffy and Daniel O’Hara were on the scoreboard for Brendan Kenny’s men and Duffy in particular will be looked for to spearhead their attack on Sunday against the side from Ballymun. Ballina booked their place in this round of the competition thanks to a comprehensive win over Cashel Celtic in the fifth round with Brendan Lavelle scoring a hat trick, the aforementioned Duffy a brace, and Ross Kenny getting himself on the scoreboard before the end of their trouncing of Cashel Celtic. Shanagan Athletic used their home advantage to see of Straide and Foxford United in the last round by 3-1, they went one up before Straide and Foxford levelled through, Chris Downey on the half hour. But the Dublin outfit had enough class to see off the Mayo men to book their date with Ballina.

As the weeks roll by the margin for error diminishes, ensuring Galway United's season has entered a truly revealing phase. Now is the time to deliver. Positive results need to be accumulated fast and frequently, and tomorrow’s clash with Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds provides an ideal opportunity.