Search Results for 'Mayo League'

Killala soccer star Aileen Gilroy is part of the Republic of Ireland side that made it through to the UEFA u17 European Championships final this week. Ireland beat Germany 1-0 in the semi-final in Nyon in Switzerland on Tuesday. They will now face off against Spain in the final European Championships final on Saturday at 12.30pm. For soccer fans looking to see the game, it will be broadcast live on Eurosport. By making it all the way to the final the Irish girls have booked their place in next year’s FIFA u18 World Cup which will take place in Trinidad and Tobago.

The full concentration of all Mayo League sides will return to league action this weekend after being involved in both league cup and Connacht Gold cup action over the past few weeks. Iorras Aontaithe who are sitting on top of the table after eight games will be looking to shake off last weekend’s defeat at the hands of Swinford in the Westaro Cup when they host third place Westport United in Carne on Saturday evening. The Covies themselves were knocked out of the Westaro Cup last weekend by Straide and Foxford United, but both sides’ real designs this year are on the Super League title. A win for Westport would see them leapfrog Iorras in the table and still have a game in hand on the Barony men. Defending champions Ballina Town, who ran through Fahy Rovers for a short cut by a score of 6-1 in cup action last weekend, will have another trip to west Mayo on Saturday when they take on Manulla in Carramore. Brendan Kenny’s side hit a rocky patch in the league recently and a win on Saturday evening would be a huge boost to their chances of retaining their title. They have however played a game more than Iorras who are a point ahead of them in the table, and they have played two games more than third placed Westport United who are a point behind them.

The Mayo League has donated the proceeds of its inaugural charity shield match which took place at the start of this season in Milebush Park, Castlebar. The shield was named in honour of the late Liam McEntee and was competed for by Ballina Town (Elverys Super league champions) and Manulla (Chadwicks Cup Holders). Ballina Town became the first winners on a score line of 2-1.

Ballina Town striker Michael Duffy has been called up to the Irish junior side, the north Mayo hit man has already picked up one international cap in 2008 against the USA, during a period when he was in a rich vein of goal scoring form. But over the past two seasons he has suffered from a number of bad injuries which curtailed his playing time. He did come back last season to help Ballina Town finally claim the Super League title. Duffy has been called up for a quadrangular tournament involving the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man which will take place in County Down from next Wednesday April 21 to Saturday April 24.

Sunday sees the Mayo league kick off the season with the Charity Shield meeting of Elvery’s Super League champions Ballina Town and Chadwick’s Cup winners Manulla in Milebush Park at 3pm. With the league ready to get back into the swing of things for the new season, Sunday will offer Ballina Town manager Brendan Kenny and the Manulla management duo of Sean Kavanagh and Damien Ansbro a chance to run the rule over their sides ahead of the league kick off. Ballina, who won the title last season after coming close a number of times in the previous seasons, will be looking to put back to back titles together to stamp their authority on the Super League, while Manulla rounded off a good 2009 after they claimed the Chadwicks Cup with a 1-0 over Swinford back in December. However they will be striving to improve on the fourth place in the Super League last year where they finished a full 12 points behind their opponents in the final standings.

The opening match of the new Mayo League season will be the Charity Shield final between the Elverys Super League winners Ballina Town and the Chadwicks Cup winners Manulla FC. This match will take place in Milebush Park on Easter Sunday at 3pm.

The cycling season has only just started in Mayo and already Western Lakes CC cyclists have got results in the four races to date.

The last chance of a Mayo side bringing national glory at junior level back to the county this season disappeared last Sunday when Ballina Town bowed out at the sixth round stage of the FAI Junior Cup. Shangan Athletic, who had seen off Straide and Foxford United in the previous round, came out victorious once again over Mayo opposition; this time they saw off Mayo’s top side. Despite going one up and being in control of the game early on Ballina conceded three first-half goals in quick succession and were never able to get back into the contest.

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.”