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Mayo League referee Damien McGrath’s upwards trajectory in the game will continue at pace on Sunday. The north Mayo whistle blower will be first assistant referee in Sunday’s Ford FAI Cup final between League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. McGrath’s stock in the game has been rising over the past number of years and he was rewarded earlier in the autumn when he was appointed as first assistant referee in a UEFA Champions League group game. On Sunday he will once again be first assistant referee with Thomas Connolly the man in the middle.

The newly trimmed and slimed down league set up for the 2011 soccer season in Mayo was announced during the week. With the size of most of the league divisions being reduced to eight teams, there will now be six divisions of Mayo soccer as opposed to five last season. The new divisions run from top down now as follows; Super League, Premier A, Premier B, League One, League Two, and League Three. The top four divisions all have eight sides in each division, with the bottom two having seven sides. The Mayo league says this could change if a a new club applies for membership of the league, additional teams being entered (B or C, teams), or clubs withdrawing or failing to meet the criteria required for their division.

Ballina Town retained the Elverys Sports Mayo Super League title on Sunday afternoon in Belleek Park. Brendan Kenny's men went into the game knowing that they had their fate in their own hands, a win and they took the title. Ballina Town duly delivered seeing off the challenge of Swinford 4-0. Ballina Town's nearest challengers Westport United were waiting to pounce if Ballina slipped up, however it was the west Mayo men who slipped up and were held to a 2-2 draw by Castlebar Celtic in Celtic Park.

After what must seem like a never ending hiatus for both Ballina Town and Westport United, the final round of games in the Super League finally rolls around this Sunday, and in one of the most exciting title races in years it is all still up for grabs for both sides. After 17 games only a point separates both sides at the top of the table, with last year’s defending champions in the driving seat ahead of the weekend.

The action in the Super League will take a back seat for a couple of weeks as attention focuses on the league cup final this weekend and the outside competitions in the next few weeks.

Coming off the back of a last gasp win over Westport United in the Elverys Sports Super League, Ballina Town were brought crashing back down to earth in Celtic Park on Wednesday night. Brendan Kenny’s men came to Castlebar looking to pick up their first trophy of the season against Salthill Devon, but within 10 seconds that plan had been ripped up by the Galway men. Before anyone could even settle into the game, the side from Drum had the ball in the back of Kieran O’Malley’s net. Chipran Straut swung the ball into Michael Gilmore who hit a snap shot from the right hand side of the penalty box. His effort stung the hands of O’Malley who was not able to hold on to the ball, it fell into the path of Victor Collins who finished it to the back of the net. Salthill were up and running and there was barely 10 seconds gone on the clock.

The penultimate round of games in this year’s Super League sees all roads leading to Erris on Sunday afternoon. Defending champions Ballina Town went back to the top of the Super League last weekend thanks to a late winner from John Mountney against Westport United. Brendan Kenny’s men are one point clear of both Iorras Aontaithe and Westport United but have to make the trip to Erris on Sunday in a must win game for both sides. A draw would give Westport United, who are away to Ballyheane, a chance to move back into first place with only one game left.

The Premiership may be back on Saturday, but for the discerning Mayo soccer supporter there is only one place to be and that is in Belleek at 6.30pm. With three games to go and the title run-in on a knife edge, league leaders Westport United will be making the journey north to face the defending champions Ballina Town, who are breathing down their necks in the title run-in. Westport United stand two points ahead of Ballina after 15 games each; a win for the defending champions would put them back on top of the table ahead of their final two games.

Saturday August 7

The Super League enters its final stretch at the weekend and Westport United are three points clear at the top of the table. However Westport United manager Barry Kilgannon told the Mayo Advertiser this week that it is going to be a tough run into the title and he is taking nothing for granted. “We’ve got four very tough games left to play and any of those sides are capable of taking points off us on their day, so we have to be on top of our game from now on into the season.” While it will be a tough challenge to reclaim the title they surrendered to Ballina Town last season, Kilgannon would rather be where he is now than any of the other title chasers. “If you gave me this at the start of the season, top of the league with four games to go, of course I would have taken it, the season seems to have flown by to now. But now it’s time to push on and that starts on Sunday with Fahy Rovers. This is a local derby and they are fighting for their lives, so it’s not going to be just a matter of us showing up and collecting the points.”