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Cup finals are well known for surprises across the globe, but before even a ball has been kicked in this year’s Mayo FA Cup final there is a big surprise already and that is the two teams who will be taking to the field on Sunday. When the season began, there would not have been many punters out there willing to take a punt on both Fahy Rovers and Straide and Foxford United winning the competition, let alone both of them making it all the way to Milebush on finals day. Sunday will offer some kind of redemption to whichever side comes out on top as both teams get used to the fact they will not be playing in the Super League next season, as both sides failed to escape from the bottom four which dropped through the trap door. Next season they will be competing in the newly formed Premier A league.

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.

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.

Friday July 30

The Super League has been firmly split into two camps for most of the season, and now with only four games to go for the vast majority of the sides the next month will shape the winners and losers. At the top of the table, Westport United, Iorras Aontaithe, and Ballina Town are going at it hammer and tongs for the title, while everyone else from fourth placed Manulla down is battling to beat the drop. It is going to be one hell of an exciting end to the season.

Castlebar Celtic will welcome Bohemians to the Celtic Park on Sunday for their second game in the Newstalk A league on Sunday afternoon. Celtic opened up the their league campaign last Sunday with a 1-1 draw away to Sporting Fingal in Dublin. An under strength Celtic side saw manager Declan Kilkelly have to go between the sticks due to an injury crisis. Chris Rowland opened the scoring for Celtic after 20 minutes and went in at the break leading. Sporting Fingal had former Irish international Glenn Crowe in their ranks, and Kilkelly was very happy with the performance of his centre half, pairing against such an established League of Ireland performer. “Declan Flynn and Shane Moran, who it has to be remembered is only 18, did really well for us against Sporting Fingal,” he said. “They are a top side who have come on a lot since they came into the league a number of years ago.” Having to go into goal wasn’t something that Kilkelly wanted to do, and he hopes he doesn’t have to again. “It wasn’t something I really wanted to do, but you have to do these things and I did my best for the lads. I’m still a bit sore after it. I took a bang in the ribs near the end which is still a bit sore at the minute.”

When the Super League kicked off a few weeks ago, Straide and Foxford were still playing out the last throws of their season from last year in the Connacht Cup. Once that dream died there was no rest for the Green Road side, who went straight into league action and they have kept up their good winter form. Wins over Ballyheane last weekend, Castlebar Celtic and a draw with Fahy Rovers see them sitting on seven points from four games in fourth place. Their solitary defeat so far came at the hands of Ballina Town the defending champions, and even then the result on that day didn’t justify the performance, according to Straide and Foxford manager, Aidan Flatley. “The Ballina game was a disappointment, they’re a good side but the scoreline didn’t really reflect the game as a whole.” Also coming out of that game Straide and Foxford lost two players to injury which could start to mount up over the league season as players feel the effects of the long winter cup campaign. “We lost Paul Fitzpatrick with a broken wrist in that game which could have him out from six to eight weeks and Shane Hughes picked up a shoulder injury. We’ll be hoping that the lads are able to keep fit over the season as we haven’t had a break really since the end of the Connacht Cup.”

While the Super League continues apace this weekend, from the Premier Division down all the clubs are out in cup action. Claremorris currently sit on top of the Premier Division, with two wins from two, and have a long trek to Kilmore to contend with on Sunday afternoon. Claremorris manager Michael Hutton is not looking forward to the trip. “It’s a long two hour journey from here, so it’s going to be a long day on Sunday to go up there and come back home.” The Claremorris manager has seen his side start the new season with two wins out of two which leaves them top of the table. Last weekend they saw off second placed Ballinrobe Town 6-1 away from home marking them out as early season potential promotion candidates. “One swallow doesn’t make a summer and all that, it’s very early days yet in the season and we’re not getting carried away. Our first aim is to ensure that we don’t end up in relegation trouble and push on from there, it’s a very tough league that will be very tight at both the top and bottom,” was Hutton’s assessment of the league.”

At the start of every season winning the title is the ultimate goal for most sides, but in this years Elvery’s Sports Super League avoiding the drop is a big a concern for a lot of teams. This year will see four sides dropping out of the top division before it becomes a more compact and competitive eight team league for the 2011 campaign. Last year only one team (Kilmore) dropped out of the top flight with Swinford replacing them this season, after Westport United B won the Premier Division title but were not allowed to come up. But this year if you finish between 10th and seventh place in the league and you are dropping through the trap door.