Search Results for 'Ballyhaunis'

It’s all down to Westport United if the Mayo League are to have an interest in the FAI Junior Cup post Christmas. The aristocrats of Mayo soccer are the last side left in the competition after both Iorras Aontaithe and Ballyhaunis Town bowed out of the competition at the fifth round stage of the competition last week.

In the battle of the Mayo sides in division 1a of the Connacht Junior League it was the Bulls from Westport who came out on top for the second time this season, when they faced Ballina in Carrowholly last Sunday. JP Walsh’s side ran out comfortable 16-3 winners over their north Mayo rivals thanks to a try from David Keane, with Seán Tobin kicking the other 11 points from three penalties and converting Keane’s try. Westport put themselves in front early on and went in leading 10-3 at the break thanks to Keane’s five pointer and two kicks from Tobin, Ballina responded with a penalty from James Coppens but it was the only score they would register on the day. The win sees Westport push six points in front of Ballina with three games left for each side before the end of the league season. The win also puts Westport just three points behind third placed Ballinasloe in the race for place in the Irish junior cup next year.

It was another weekend of mixed fortunes for the Mayo sides in the top level of junior rugby in the province with Ballina running out big winners and Westport going down by 21 points on the road.

“It’s a long way to Tipperary” the song goes and on Sunday, Iorras Aontaithe will find out just how long that trek is when they make their way to Celtic Park in Clonmel to take on Clonmel Town at 1pm. The Tipperary side booked their place in the fifth round of the competition thanks to a 4-0 win over north Tipperary outfit Borrisokane. Aidan McGrath scored their first and fourth goals that day, with David McGrath and Tony Scully both finding the net also. In the third round they saw off Two Mile Borris 5-0, with Rosgreen Rangers beaten 4-1 in the second round. Clonmel Town are currently seven games into their Tipperary Southern and District League Premier Division campaign and they have picked up four wins, two draws, and one defeat so far, scoring 24 goals in the process. Barry Ryan, Tony Scully, and Dwayne Burns have all been finding the back of the net with regularity for Clonmel Town this season.

Both of the Mayo sides in the top division of junior rugby in the province went down last weekend, with Westport coming up short by three points at home to Ballinasloe and Ballina shipping a 29 point home defeat at the hands of Monivea.

In the end it was easier than expected, but Westport United are in the fifth round of the FAI Junior Cup alongside fellow Mayo teams, Iorras Aontaithe and Ballyhaunis Town, in three weeks’ time.

While some of their local rivals were bowing out of the FAI Junior Cup at the fourth round stage, Westport United were booking their own spot in that round last weekend with a 4-1 win over Claremorris in Concannon Park. The all conquering treble champions did have their supporters sweating for a while though, after they fell behind early on when Paul Burke finished a rebound to the net from close range. Westport United did manage to pull the game level before the break when Pat Fitzgerald rolled the ball to the back of the net after being set up by the veteran Vinny O’Malley. United took the lead early on in the second half when Martin Geraghty found the back of the net before Vinny O’Malley and Dave Cameron rounded off the win and booked their side’s place in the fourth round and their fourth meeting with Ballinasloe Town in the last three seasons.

This weekend sees a break from the action in the Connacht Junior League after eight hectic rounds of action. In the top division, Westport remain as the main men from Mayo, currently sitting in fourth place in the table behind the Galway trio of Connemara, Monivea, and Corinthians, and they will be well buoyed by the last second draw they got against league leaders Connemara in Monastery Field. The Bulls trailed by 14 points at the turn around. Westport did narrow the gap back to three points midway through the second half, but Connemara scored a break-away converted try to push their lead out to 24-10, but with a few minutes left Mike Cronin touched down for Westport, with Séan Tobin converting the try and then kicking a late, late, penalty to grab a draw for Danny O’Toole and JP Walshe’s charges. Next up for the Bulls is sixth place Ballinasloe in Carrowholly on Sunday week. When the team met in round two in September, Ballinasloe emerged two point winners against Westport condemning the Bulls to their second defeat of the season, but they have been on a steady upward trajectory since then, with their only blip a loss to Corinthians a fortnight ago.

The next Connacht Property Auction, on Tuesday, November 11, in The Menlo Park Hotel, Galway, will include properties from Westport, Castlebar, Ballyhaunis, Galway city, Dunmore, Inveran, and Ennis amongst others.