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Castlebar Celtic got their season off to a winning start in the EA Sports Cup with a 1-0 preliminary round win over Salthill Devon in Celtic Park on Tuesday night. Peter Dravins was the hero for Celtic scoring an 87th minute winner over the Galway side who were promoted from the Newstalk A league to division one of the Airtricity league last season, a feat Celtic will be hoping to emulate this season. The win puts Castlebar Celtic into the first round proper of the competition where they will take on Finn Harps at home. A win over the Donegal men will keep Celtic moving in the right direction ahead of their kick off in the Newstalk A league in May.

Do you fancy running in a mini-marathon and at the same time contributing towards the development of a state of the art facility for people with cystic fibrosis in Mayo? The organisation behind the development of the new unit at Mayo General Hospital is encouraging runners to take part in the marathon which will be held on the May Bank holiday in Castlebar.

After this weekend’s round of games in the Mayo league the corner flags and nets can be put away for a couple off weeks around the county as the Mayo League takes its mid-season break. In the Super League most sides will have played at least 15 games, leaving three to play after the break and Castlebar Celtic manager Declan Kilkelly reckons that the league is Westport’s to lose, but he can’t see them doing that. “I knew it was always going to be hard coming in mid-season, but I’m delighted to be back with the club and in the game. It’s been tough though because it’s been all go since then. We’ve had a good few weeks where we’ve been playing Thursday and Saturday or Sunday, that’s not leaving you much time to do anything on the training field. We’re still fighting for the league, but realistically you have to say it’s Westport to lose, they’re top by a point and have two of the bottom three at home in their last three games.”

Both Iorras Aontaithe and Westport United will be hoping that home advantage can give them a little bit extra on Sunday when they enter the FAI Junior Cup sixth round. Iorras Aontaithe will be hoping that they won’t be suffering any post Connacht Cup hangover from their elimination from the provincial cup at the hands of City United by a score of 3-1 last weekend.

There may be concerns voiced form players and managers about the length of their season in Mayo soccer circles, but the progress of Mayo sides in national and provincial competitions to the latter stages continues, even though they should be in off season. This weekend Westport United are looking to round off their season, or if you look at it another way, kick start it with victory in the Connacht Senior Cup on Saturday. With the Super League only a couple of weeks away United will take on Athenry in Milebush Park on Saturday evening in the final of the eight strong competition for the best of the best in the province.

Westport United 2

This weekend sees the Mayo soccer season really kick into life, with the premier division and Down being in action over the last few weeks, the time has now come for the Super League sides to get in on the action. Westport United will be looking to make it three titles in a row this season and following on from their extra time Connacht Senior Cup victory over Athenry last weekend they have been set up perfectly for the new domestic season. The Coveys will start their campaign away to Manulla in Carrowmore on Saturday evening. Padraig Burns and Kevin Cusack’s team should expect a tough encounter from the central Mayo side who are capable of taking on and beating anyone on the day, especially at home. The league’s three promoted sides, Straide and Foxford United, Kilmore, and Fahy Rover all face a tough start to the season.

While Christms is only around the corner the never-ending road that is Mayo soccer continues apace this weekend. Last weekend saw the Oscar Traynor side slip into the knock-out stages of the competition, this weekend the attention turns to the FAI Junior Cup. Both Castlebar Celtic and Manulla will be looking to make it into round six of the competition while Westport United and Mulranny United will battle it out to escape into the national stages of the competition.

The Mayo League will see the curtain come down on another season this Sunday (bar one or two re-fixed games), with a number of titles and promotion spots still up for grabs. In the Super League Ballina Town have their destiny in their own hands and on Sunday at 2.30pm on the Pete Murray pitch in Belleek Park, they can wrap up the title with a win over Fahy Rovers. Ballina Town have been leading the charge over the 17 games so far this season, with Westport United nipping at their heels. A win for Brendan Kenny’s side will see them reach 44 points, enough to claim the title as Westport can only reach a maximum of 43 with their two games left this season. They play Iorras Aontaithe this Sunday and have a re-fixed game against Snugboro United also to play, but if Kenny’s men do what is expected of them Westport’s re-fixed game will be inconsequential to the title race.