Search Results for 'Ballina Town'

Four games played, four wins, and 12 points on the table, it has been business as usual for Westport United since the Super League swung back into action in the past number of weeks. The defending champions were always going to be the team that everybody would have to chase, but even as few as four games in they look like no one will be able to step up to the mark to haul them in this season. There nearest challengers at the moment are Ballina Town, a side who really need to deliver the title or some form of silverware this season to give them something to show for their top of the table battling over the past number of seasons. On Sunday the Beleek Park men will host Iorras Aontaithe and if they fail to see off the Erris men they could see Ballina extend their lead at the top of the table from three to six points with only five games gone in the season.

Ballina Town blew their chance to draw level at the top of the Super League last weekend when they lost 3-0 against Manulla away from home. The north Mayo men were three points behind the league leaders who were not playing last weekend but could not take advantage. Roger Clarke wound the years back with two goals in either half, with Johnny Hennelly scoring direct from a corner just after half time to put the game beyond the visitors. Ballina must now pick themselves up off the ground and hope they can shake off the challenge Straide and Foxford United in Belleek on Saturday evening. The men from green road are battling it out at the bottom of the table and got their second point of the season thanks to a 3-3 draw with Castlebar Celtic last weekend. Shane Burke opened the scoring five minutes before the break after Celtic had lost the services of veteran goalkeeper Declan Kilkelly a few minutes earlier due to injury. Paul Fitzpatrick added a second for United which looked like setting up the win. However Celtic were handed a life line shortly after when Keith Hopkins directed the ball home form the penalty spot after Peter Flatley was fouled. Soon after the game was level through a Terry Maughan free kick from the edge of the area. Things looked to have swung dramatically in Celtic’s favour when Pat Reid was red carded and James McGurran struck his side’s third goal, but it was not over yet as Fitzpatrick grabbed his second goal at the death to level it up again.

They may have only lost their footing from the top of the table momentarily and only be there on goal difference, but Westport United will be hurting after Ballyheane came to the Sports Park and went home with three points, thanks to Alan McHugh’s goal 11 minutes before time. While Ballyheane in their history are no strangers to taking big scalps, going to Westport having only won two games beforehand, it looked like a major job for the men from Quigley Park, but their dogged determination and closing down of Westport in every area on the park ensured that they didn’t let their late lead slip.

At the time of writing last week, Ballina Town had nudged ahead of Westport United at the top of the Super League on goal difference but the Covies had a game in hand to be played that evening against Snugboro United. Westport’s shock loss at the hands of Ballyheane the previous week would have been seen by many to have been a minor blip in their season, but the Conway Park side had different ideas. Kevin Curry was the man of the day banging in a hat trick inside an hour to set his side off to a 5-1 win. Curry opened the scoring on 24 minutes but Westport were able to draw the game level thanks to a Gerry McLouglinn goal before half time, but it was all Snugboro in the second half with Curry sticking in two more goals and both Johnny Griffin and Paul Walsh sealing the win with goals of their own. Both sides saw men see the line, with Westport ending up with nine men after Dessie O’Malley and David Hoban getting the line, along with Stevie Gavin for the home side.

Eight games out and at the top of the table and with one trophy already in the bag, Ballina Town have it all to play for over the next few months in the Elverys Sports Super League. Last weekend they followed up their Westaro Cup win over Ballyheane with a 2-0 win over Kilmore to keep themselves level on points with Westport United, but ahead of them on goal difference, and maintain the poll position.

There is only one place to be on Sunday and that’s in Belleek Park at 2.30pm, Westport United, who wrestled the lead back in the Super League last weekend, will make the trip north to take on the side who were leading the league for the past couple of weeks. Ballina Town, whose game was postponed against Snugboro United last weekend, will be eager to reclaim the top spot in the league from the three in a row-chasing Westport men. Currently Westport are three points ahead with a slender on-goal advantage in the goal difference stakes, while Ballina have a game in hand on the champions. A win here and if they pick up a win in their postponed game could see a six-point swing at the top with Ballina moving three points clear.

Sunday August 30

When the crunch came and Ballina had to see off the champions to retake the top spot in the Super League last weekend, Brendan Kenny’s men didn’t come up short. They had the game wrapped up and the points in the bag with half an hour to go when Eugene Gorman put the ball into the back of the net after a Michael Duffy effort had come back off the post. That goal put the home side into a 3 - 0 lead and Westport were consigned to defeat. The visitors did pull one goal back right at the death through Vinny O’Malley. Westport’s goal ensured that, while Ballina went back to the top of the table, both sides are still level on points, but it is a very slender one goal in the plus column for Ballina Town that keeps them at the summit.

Westport United made the most of Ballina Town’s slip up at the weekend to regain poll position in the Elverys Sports Super League. Westport saw off Fahy Rovers 4-3, while the men from north Mayo were held to a 1-1 draw by a Ballyheane side who ran into their own problems this week when the Mayo league awarded the points from a postponed game against them.

Ballina Town went back to the top of the Elverys Sports Super League last weekend thanks to a 4-2 win over Snugboro United in Conway Park. Brendan Kenny, who also took over the management position of the Mayo Oscar Traynor Cup team late last week, has now got his side in poll position to push on and win the title with only five games left in the league. They are now sitting one point clear of champions Westport United as both sides race to the finishing post.