Drive-shaft problems scuppers Duffy and Al-Kuwari
Fri, Feb 28, 2014
Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah is used to driving under pressure, but he and Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini were pushed all the way to the finish of a thrilling Qatar International Rally, the opening round of the 2014 Middle East Rally Championships, by fellow countryman Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Mayo’s Killian Duffy on Friday and Saturday last. Separated by just 5.5 seconds at the start of the second day, Al-Attiyah pressed home a slight advantage once Al-Kuwari and Mayo navigator Killian Duffy suffered a drive shaft breakage. His winning margin was 30.1 seconds from Al-Kuwari and Duffy who finished in second place.
Read more ...Testing conditions in cross country championship
Fri, Feb 28, 2014
Dunboyne Athletic Club hosted the national intermediate and masters cross country championships last Sunday. The Meath venue was given good test of its ability to hold up against the conditions as 800 juveniles took to the course in the morning before the main event to make sure the underfoot conditions were up to scratch.
Read more ...Spring schedules swing into action
Fri, Feb 28, 2014
Balla
Lorcan Cribbin was the winner of the stableford competition last weekend with a score of 35pts. His back nine play held off Mick Mellett in second place and John Parsons finished a point further back in third place. In the ladies’ competition, Aine McSuibhne was the winner with Breege Moran second and Kitty O’Connor third.
Connacht boosted with trio’s return for Treviso visit
Fri, Feb 28, 2014
Connacht cannot afford to let slip a victory on Saturday (5pm) when they host Treviso in the Rabodirect Pro 12 at the Galway Sportsground. Having put together back-to-back wins over Edinburgh and Zebre, Connacht have a great opportunity to continue moving up the table and maintain their momentum before the break.
Read more ...It’s a nice time to face the Kingdom
Fri, Feb 28, 2014
Although it is only round three of the National league on Sunday when Mayo take on Kerry, it literally is a league defining match (There will be more on rounds of a different kind later on). The winners of the game have a chance of making the semi-finals; the losers are staring relegation in the face. Mayo have had some good results against Kerry in the league in the last number of years and no question they will not fear them particularly with Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper sidelined for the year . It is sad for us as footballing fans that we will not see the eight-time All-Star in action this year however I am sure there are many a manager and defender quietly delighted they will not have to endure the full wrath of his skills in the summer of 2014. Cooper’s last championship game, last year’s All-Ireland semifinal against the Dubs, was arguably one of his best in a Kerry jersey. I was secretly hoping Kerry would win that game as I felt Mayo would have had a better chance against them in the final. Kerry are under transition at the moment and very regularly line out with players we have not really heard of just yet, so now is a good time to play them.
Read more ...Moylette makes his way back
Fri, Feb 28, 2014
St Anne’s Ray Moylette will compete in the semi-finals of the National Elite Championships in the National Stadium in Dublin this evening. The former European and World junior champion saw off the challenge of Sean Montgomery (Canal BC) last Sunday in the same venue. The Islandeady boxer will be up against Portlaoise’s Michael Nevin who won two bouts last weekend to get to this stage of the competition. If Moylette picks up the win he’ll face the inner of Dean Walsh (St Joseph’s/St Ibars) and Rohan Date (St Paul’s).
Read more ...The Kingdom come calling on Sunday
Fri, Feb 28, 2014
After the breakneck start to the year with five games in 31 days, the past fortnight would have come as a welcome respite for James Horan and his management team as they had two weeks to work with their panel without having to prepare for a game at the same time.
Read more ...Connacht look to stay off the bottom
Fri, Feb 21, 2014
Rugby
Connacht are not taking Sunday’s opponents Zebre lightly when the two clash in the RaboDirect Pro 12 in Parma. Despite a 100 per cent return from their seven matches with the Italians to date, Sunday’s fixture has all the hallmarks of a cup final. Last weekend’s Connacht’s hard-earned win over Edinburgh ensured they leapfrogged Zebre in the league. And now Pat Lam’s side need to carve out their eighth victory if they do not want to make a swift return to the bottom of the table.
Busy weekend of action for Mayo athletes
Fri, Feb 21, 2014
MA_2102_E1_0Athletics
Mayo AC were in action in a number of events over the week-end. In the fifth annual Cloonacool GAA 5km, Anthony Flannery (Clonliffe Harriers) was the winner in 17:03. He caught up with Anto Devaney (Mayo AC) at the 4k mark, and there were just four seconds between them at the finish. David Kearins (Sligo AC) was third in 17:49. Sean Murphy came home in sixth in 18:59, and like Anto he was sharpening up ahead of the cross-country championships in Dunboyne on Sunday where he will be part of Mayo AC's Masters team.
Just one hour between Mitchels and glory
Fri, Feb 21, 2014
Castlebar Mitchels are 60 minutes away from the holy grail of club football. To join the elite clubs like Nemo Rangers, Crossmaglen Rangers, and indeed our own Crossmolina Deel Rovers and Ballina Stephenites would be nothing short of a miracle. It took them 20 years to win the elusive Moclair Cup, now their eyes are firmly set on the Andy Merrigan. Castlebar have beaten the three hot favourites for the competition along the way to the final in Corofin, St Brigid's, and the dead certs until last Sunday, Dr Crokes of Kerry. There will not be a dry eye in Mick Byrne’s if they succeed.
Very often games of this magnitude are swung on certain things, like they were last Saturday, and I have no doubt this game’s biggest moment happened in the 20th minute, when the best footballer of our generation had to leave the field with a suspect cruciate knee ligament injury and what later was discovered to be also a fractured knee. I love watching Colm ‘the Gooch’ Cooper but when I realised his game was run, it gave me renewed optimism that Castlebar would win through. I have no doubt there was no intent by any Castlebar player to injure Colm Cooper. Rewind to last year’s All-Ireland semi final and the clatter Tom Cunniffe landed on Peter Harte of Tyrone when the Red Hand were cruising against Mayo, another game changing moment. Harte had to leave the field and Tyrone crumbled. Last Saturday the same happened to Dr Crokes when their talisman Cooper departed.
Read more ...Mitchels move closer to immortality
Fri, Feb 21, 2014
GAA
March 17 may already come with St Patrick’s Day marked on the diary, but for Castlebar Mitchels players and supporters there is only one thing that matters about that date and that is the All Ireland Senior Club Championship Football Final. The Mitchels booked their place in the club showpiece occasion with a top class display against Dr Crokes in Portlaoise last Saturday and they are not going to rest on their laurels until they seal the deal in three weeks time.
