Cup finals an all Celtic and Ballina affair
Action from the Westaro Cup final this season between Ballina Town and Castlebar Celtic. The two teams will meet again this Sunday in the Super Cup Final. Picture: Michael Donnelly
For the fourth time this season, and the second time in Umbro Park, Castlebar Celtic and Ballina Town will do battle for silverware this season, the Super Cup on the line on this occasion.
It was Celtic who got the better of Ballina in the Westaro Cup Final back in July and the Hoops will look to cap off a stunning season in their centenary year by winning a fourth trophy this year.
Celtic’s dominance this season has been nothing short of extraordinary. They won a record-breaking tenth Connacht Cup in June, added the Westaro Cup a month later before retaining their Super League title in convincing fashion.
Their squad depth is unrivalled and they will need everyone ready given that a number of star performers are missing. Mark Cunningham and Paul Walsh are suspended while there are doubts about the availability of Cathal Coyne and Dylan Edwards. Those absences might see Bahso Hay, Brian Walsh and Luke Kelly thrown into the starting lineup but with Stefan Hester in goal, captain Ioseph O’Reilly leading the back, Ben Murphy and Oran Groarke in the middle and deadly duo Jordan Loftus and Jason Hunt in attack, the spine of Celtic’s team remains as strong as ever and they can also call on Niall Brennan and Johnnie Cocozza. Castlebar Celtic manager Stevie Gavin is expecting a close game.
“We’re feeling like it’s a cup final and it’s 50-50 and we have to turn up on the day. Ballina are a very good team, we’ve got injuries and suspensions ourselves so it will be a test of our squad.” He said that despite winning, Celtic did not play to their best standard in the Westaro Cup final. He is hoping for an improved performance along with victory.
“The important thing in cup finals is winning it. Even if you don’t play well, they just put the winners name on the cup at the end. Cup finals are cup finals at any level, our performance level will need to be better if we’re to beat Ballina next weekend.” If there is a weakness in this Celtic team, it can be that teams can get the better of them in physicality and Ballina do trump Celtic in that area, as well as experience. Goalkeeper Emmet Peyton, defenders Chris Moore, Chris Maughan and Stephen Melvin, and midfielders Dan Gorman and Raff Cretaro have been there and done it time and time again. It can be argued there is no better player in the Mayo League right now than Dylan McKee and Ballina will hope Jamie Cawley can return to full fitness in time for the final.
PJ Gilmartin has also been in good since making the switch from Conn Rangers to Ballina and should Cawley not be ready, much could fall on young guns Leon Geraghty, and Oisin and Tiernan Tighe, to break down a watertight Celtic backline While they are 0-3 in games this year, all games between the two have been close. Celtic’s defensive strength has kept Ballina at bay but they are potentially missing two key men in Cunningham and Coyne. Ballina could pick holes through them but Celtic’s power up front may be too much for them to handle.
The curtain raiser in Umbro Park will be a novel affair as Celtic’s and Town’s respective ‘B’ teams will meet as they look to each add another trophy to their cabinets this season.
The Town have been without peer in League Two this year, going unbeaten in winning the title. In fact, they have yet to lose a game all season, their only blemish being a draw against Conn Rangers ‘C’ back in March.
Central to their success is their strike duo of Ryan Moran and John Durkan, who have combined for 71 goals across all competitions this season. Of the 94 goals Town scored in League Two, Moran and Durkan account for 50 of them and the Celtic defence know they must find a way to stop them if they are to deny Town the chance to add the Premier Cup to the League Two and McDonnell Cup successes.
Celtic ‘B’, who operate two divisions higher in the Premier Division, have also had a terrific season. They defeated rivals Westport United ‘B’ in the Tuohy Cup finals and finished second in the league. When you consider that champions Glenhest Rovers have enjoyed an unbeaten league campaign and Celtic, who stopped Glenhest from a perfect league after their draw last Sunday, finished 12 points ahead of third-placed United, it speaks volumes of how far Celtic have been ahead of the rest bar the champions.
Gerry Hunt, James Basquille, Dylan Howley, Adam Diamond Keane and Ruairi Nevin all have plenty of Super League experience and will hope to add another trophy to what has been a memorable centenary for the club.
Despite the gap in divisions, this could be a close battle and one that could go the distance.
