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It’s wagons east for Westport United and their loyal band of supporters on Sunday, as they look for a place in the last 16 of the FAI Junior Cup. Standing in their way is the imposing figure of Sheriff YC from the capital. The hooped side from Dublin won the competition last June in the Aviva Stadium when they saw off fellow Dublin side Kilbarrack FC. They are currently sitting in third place in the AUL Premier A table in the capital, but have four games in hand on the league leaders Kilbarrack United.

The first game of Sunday’s double header in MacHale Park sees Cill Chomain look to complete the first of a north Mayo provincial double in the Connacht Championship. The Mayo junior champions take on Galway side Headford at 2pm in the county ground, with a place in the Connacht final at stake.

Cill Chomain 2-12

On Sunday evening, Ardnaree and Cill Chomain will do battle for the right to bring the Pete McDonnell Cup home with them for the winter. For the men in green and gold, it will be their fourth junior final in five years and a chance to exercise the demons from those defeats. In 2009 Kiltimagh defeated them on their way to a day out in Croke Park in the All Ireland junior club final, while in 2011 it was Islandeady who came out on top in the county grounds and most dramatically last year, The Neale emerged victorious after a replay against Ardnaree after a Seán Ramsgrove goal deep in injury time in the replay forced the game into extra time where the south-Mayo men ended up winning by five points.

Defending Super League champions Westport United’s attempts to keep in touch at the top of the Super League table with Ballina Town suffered a serious blow last weekend, when Castlebar Celtic turned them over in Celtic Park. The Hoops’ 3-2 win combined with Ballina Town’s 8-1 win over Manulla in the last round of games, has left Ballina Town seven points clear of both Westport United and Ballyheane with six rounds left to go.

Sunday morning will see a mass exodus of football supporters from Westport, but rather than heading south to Galway they’ll be pointing their wagons east, in the direction of the small Roscommon village of Lecarrow about 17km west of Athlone to the home of the Roscommon and District Football League. It’s there that Westport United will be looking to put together a historic back-to-back pair of Connacht Junior Cup victories. Last years rain-sodden penalty shootout victory over Athenry in Terryland Park will go down in history as one of the great days in the famous junior club’s history, but if they manage on Sunday to bring the trophy home for the second time in as many years, they’ll be telling tales of this side for many, many years to come around the town.

It is a case of six of the best for Westport United in the Mayo Advertiser sponsored Mayo League Super League team of the year. The run-away Super League champions have half a dozen players picked in the 4-3-3 formation team of the season. Gary Cunningham gets the nod in goal with Martin Geraghty and Shaun Tagg the centre back pairing. In the middle of the park David Cameron is one of three midfielders with both JP O’Gorman and David Hoban making up two thirds of the strike force. Both Claremorris and Ballina Town have received two nods, with full back pairing of James Stretton and Andrew Shally claiming the awards for the south Mayo men. Michael Duffy earned a spot in the midfield three with Brendan Lavelle picking up his award in the front line. The last spot on the team went to Castlebar Celtic’s Ger O’Boyle whose good form saw him called up to the Irish junior side, before cruelly picking up an injury just before the game.

On Sunday in Terryland Park, Westport United will go looking to make it lucky number seven when they take on Athenry FC in the Connacht Junior Cup final. Standing in Westport United's way will be the defending champions who are going for their third Connacht Junior Cup win on the trot. Picking up the title would be quite a coup for the relatively inexperienced management duo of Kieran Mulchrone and James Fahy who have taken over in the United hot seat this season. While the management duo may be inexperienced at this level, there is plenty of experience to draw on with the likes of Kevin Joyce, Martin Geraghty, Danny Schaill, Gerry McLoughlin, Dave Cameron, Dave Hoban and Pat Fitzgerald all with plenty of big game experience under their belts over the years.

Much like last season, Claremorris have hit the ground running early in the Elverys Sports Super League. Maximum points from their opening brace of games, have the south Mayo side sitting on top of the league table, albeit ahead only ahead of Westport United on goal difference. On Sunday, Claremorris will have to make their first away trip of the season when they travel to the home of the champions Castlebar Celtic.

The Mayo League and clubs have been in the headlines of late over off the field issues, but on Sunday all eyes will be where they should on the park as the Mayo League kicks off for the 2012 season across five divisions. The Premier A and B along with division one and two will get proceedings underway on Saturday evening at 6pm, with the main attraction the Super League, kicking off on Sunday at noon with the meeting of Castlebar Celtic and Westport United in Celtic Park, with the action in the other games in the division getting underway at 2.30pm.