Mayo FA round-up: Ballina blow glorious chance to take scalp of champions
Ryan McGurrin heads to the Killala net to complete the scoring for Ballyglass in a comfortable win in the Castlecourt Hotel Premier Division last Thursday evening. Killala were also beaten on Sunday by Crossmolina but so were Ballyglass, at the hands of Castlbar Celtic 'B'. Picture: Tom Quinn
Castlebar Celtic made it a week to remember after they came from two goals down, and a man down, to defeat Ballina Town last Sunday afternoon in Belleek Park.
Jordan Loftus put Celtic ahead on 29 minutes from the penalty spot, but Ballina were in front before half-time thanks to goals by Benny Lavelle and Goodhope Mutendebvure.
A brilliant volley by PJ Gilmartin put Ballina 3-1 in front and the Hoops’ 100% start to the league season looked under serious threat when Oran Groarke was shown a straight red card.
But the Super League and Connacht Cup champions showed why they are among the top junior sides in the country as they dug deep to draw level. Mark Cunningham pulled a goal back for Celtic before Jordan Loftus made it 3-3 when he scored his second from a header.
There looked only one winner from hereon and former Ballina Town man Dylan Edwards coolly finished past Emmet Peyton to get the three points. The home side had a glorious chance late on to get a draw, but Dylan McKee’s penalty came back off the post.
The win for Celtic, coupled with their late heroics against Westport United last Thursday, sees them in second, four points behind United, but with four games in hand.
Table-toppers Westport United put their defeat to Celtic behind them as second half goals from Cian Halpin (two) and Serhii Morarenko earned them a 3-0 win over Conn Rangers.
Glenhest Rovers netted another late winner, Connor McCarthy the hero on this occasion, as his 91st minute strike was the difference against Manulla. The ‘Hest remain third while Manulla are second from bottom and three points from safety.
The other game at the weekend between Kiltimagh Knock United and Ballyheane was abandoned after 65 minutes when Ballyheane midfielder Sean Kilcoyne suffered a serious ankle injury.
All five games in the Castlecourt Hotel Premier League took place on Sunday, and the big result came at Concannon Park when Claremorris inflicted a first league defeat on Westport United ‘B’ to blow the title race open.
Claremorris had beaten United a month ago in the Tuohy Cup and Simon Collins’s side put four past United again thanks to goals from Brandon Walsh, Jack Murphy, Simon Butler and Mark Maloney. United’s only goal came from Dan O’Malley in the first-half.
The win for Claremorris sees them cut the gap to four points at top and are now level on points with Ballyglass, who missed a chance to go within a point of United after losing 5-3 to Castlebar Celtic ‘B’. Jake Daly netted a hat-trick for the hopes while Ruairi Nevin and Dylan Howley got the other goals for Fintan McHale’s side. The Candystripes’ three goals came from Ryan Connolly, Liam Hughes and a Diarmuid Aherne own goal.
Iorras Aontaithe kept their feint promotion hopes alive with a 5-1 win over Ballyheane ‘B’ in Pat Quigley Park thanks to a goal from Dylan Padden and braces from Kyle Heffron and Jamie Reilly while Crossmolina ended a run of seven straight defeats with an 8-2 win over Killala in a one-sided North Mayo derby. They did so thanks to two goals apiece from Richie Shelly and James Carr while Niall McDonnell, Martin Deacy, Shane Hennigan and Aaron Keane were also on the scoresheet.
The respective defeats for Killala and Ballyheane ‘B’ meant plenty was on the line for the relegation six-pointer between Straide & Foxford United and Kilmore, and it was S&F who picked up a 4-0 win thanks to two goals each by Paul Moran and Luke Ruane. The win moves S&F two-points clear of the relegation places, with Killala and Kilmore now occupying those two spots.
In Killeen Sports Ground League One, Swinford remain in second place, and have a game in hand, thanks to a 9-0 win over Partry Athletic but Ballina Town ‘B’ showed great resilience after beating Conn Rangers ‘B’ 3-2 after playing with ten men for over 55 minutes.
Fahy Rovers picked up a sixth consecutive league win after beating Bangor Hibs 5-2 while Claremorris edged out Ballyvary Blue Bombers 5-4.
Achill Rovers need only three more wins to secure the McDonnell Construction League Two title after defeating Fahy Rovers ‘B’ 4-2. Below them, only four points separate second from second bottom in an incredible race for promotion to League One.
Castlebar Town are in second and have a game in hand but their hopes took a dent after a surprise 4-1 loss to bottom of the table Conn Rangers ‘C’.
Ballinrobe Town ‘B’ also have a game in hand but were beaten 2-1 by Glenhest Rovers ‘B’ while the other game saw Crossmolina ‘B’ inflict a fourth straight loss on Westport United after Cross’ won 2-1.
