Search Results for 'Westport United F.C.'

There is not much to be said about Iorras Aontaithe’s run to the semi-final that hasn’t been said before. The north Mayo men who looked to be in free fall midway through the Super League season last summer, pulled themselves together in the home straight and pulled themselves clear of the relegation quagmire. Since then they have gone on to show the true quality that the Barony men possess, navigating eight rounds of the FAI Junior Cup to arrive in this Sunday’s semi-final. In a sort of homecoming Iorras will welcome Ballymun United to the home of Mayo soccer, Milebush, on Sunday with a place in the final up for grabs. For Iorras it offers them a chance to add an FAI Junior Cup to the FAI youths cup they won in 2005, and puts them up there with Westport United from 2006 as the only Mayo sides to bring home the national junior title.

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.

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.

Saturday May 16

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.

Two people in the Westport area and two in the Castlebar area have been arrested for drink driving since Monday.

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.

Four games played, four wins, and 12 points on the table, it has been business as usual for Westport United since the Super League swung back into action in the past number of weeks. The defending champions were always going to be the team that everybody would have to chase, but even as few as four games in they look like no one will be able to step up to the mark to haul them in this season. There nearest challengers at the moment are Ballina Town, a side who really need to deliver the title or some form of silverware this season to give them something to show for their top of the table battling over the past number of seasons. On Sunday the Beleek Park men will host Iorras Aontaithe and if they fail to see off the Erris men they could see Ballina extend their lead at the top of the table from three to six points with only five games gone in the season.

Ballina Town blew their chance to draw level at the top of the Super League last weekend when they lost 3-0 against Manulla away from home. The north Mayo men were three points behind the league leaders who were not playing last weekend but could not take advantage. Roger Clarke wound the years back with two goals in either half, with Johnny Hennelly scoring direct from a corner just after half time to put the game beyond the visitors. Ballina must now pick themselves up off the ground and hope they can shake off the challenge Straide and Foxford United in Belleek on Saturday evening. The men from green road are battling it out at the bottom of the table and got their second point of the season thanks to a 3-3 draw with Castlebar Celtic last weekend. Shane Burke opened the scoring five minutes before the break after Celtic had lost the services of veteran goalkeeper Declan Kilkelly a few minutes earlier due to injury. Paul Fitzpatrick added a second for United which looked like setting up the win. However Celtic were handed a life line shortly after when Keith Hopkins directed the ball home form the penalty spot after Peter Flatley was fouled. Soon after the game was level through a Terry Maughan free kick from the edge of the area. Things looked to have swung dramatically in Celtic’s favour when Pat Reid was red carded and James McGurran struck his side’s third goal, but it was not over yet as Fitzpatrick grabbed his second goal at the death to level it up again.