Vincent Brooks looks back on the weekend’s action from the Roscommon and District Football League and the Connacht Cup Final.
Premier Division side Ballinasloe Town were beaten 7- 0 by the Galway side Athenry FC in the Connacht Cup Final played at the Leagues ground Lecarrow on Sunday. Ballinasloe Town who were going for their fourth title fell behind after thirteen minutes when Garry Forde scored for the visitors. Cathal Fahy added a second in the last minute of the first half. Any chance Ballinasloe had of making a come back were dashed when Jordan O Leary was sent off early in the second half. Conor Tennon added two more for Athenry before Ballinasloe Town were reduced to nine men when Darragh Concannon received a second yellow card. In the last few minutes of the game Declan Cullen Jamie Driscoll and Alan Harty completed the scoring for Athenry.
Castlerea Celtic are through to the Roscommon and District League Challenge Cup Final following a 4 – 2 win over Division 1 Champions Shiven Rovers at Newbridge.
Eoghan O Connell headed a Ronan Curran corner kick to the Shiven Rovers net with just eight minutes played. Three minutes later Aidan Mc Inerney had the sides level when he scored for the Newbridge side.
With thirty five played Eoghan O Connell added his second following a corner kick from Ronan Curran. Jack Higgins created an opening for Ronan Curran to make it 3 – 1 for Castlerea Celtic with fifty played. Eoghan O Connell completed his hat trick following a Jack Higgins free kick with Luke Delaney pulling a second back for Shiven Rovers with six minutes left to play.
Castlerea Celtic will play either Ballymoe FC or Ballinasloe Town in this seasons Challenge Cup Final.
Ballymoe F C beat St Johns Athletic 4 – 2 at Lecarrow to book a place in the Premier Division Cup final. With ten played Ross Timothy finished off an Aidan Brogan pass to give Ballymoe a 1- 0 lead. Daniel Malone added their second with sixty played.
St Johns athletic fought back and goals from David Mc Donnell had the sides level with seventy four played. However in the closing stages of the game James Connaughton and Aidan Brogan scored for Ballymoe F C who will now face either M D Town or Moore United in the final.
Moore United had beaten Castlerea Celtic 1 – 0 at Moore earlier in the week. Alan Duffy scored their goal with five minutes left to play.
In the Division 2 Cup Semi-Final the Ballinlough side Lough Harps beat the Milltown Dunmore side M D Town 1 – 0 at Dunmore. Adrian Cregg scored the only goal of the game with forty six played. With David Mc Namara and Stephen Comer in top form Lough Harps held out for a win.
Skyvalley Rovers beat Moylough 2 – 1 at Onagh Park Taughmaconnell and they will play Lough Harps in the final. Andrew Phelan struck twice in the first half for the winners and Marcus Finn converted a penalty kick for Moylough 79 in the second half.
In the Masters League Dunmore Town and C B Trotters drew 1 – 1 . Skyvalley Rovers beat Shiven Rovers 6 – 0 and St Francis Athlone beat Glen Celtic 5 – 0.
Next weekend will decide who is this seasons Roscommon and District league Champions with all ten teams in action in the last round of fixtures.
Castlerea Celtic take on MD Town at Dunmore and they only need a single point from this game to be crowned Premier Division Champions. Going into the game M D Town are second from bottom of the Premier Division and on current form they will not start as favourites. However Castlerea Celtic will be wary as bottom sides can always rise to the big occasions.
Moore United travel to Ballinasloe and they must win and hope Castlerea Celtic loose to force a play off. Moore United only lost one of their seventeen games played and are still hoping for a that Castlerea Celtic can slip up.
At the other end of the points table Cloonfad United Dysart and M D Town are all battling relegation. Should Dysart take a point from their away game against Cloonfad United they will condemn them to Division 1 next season. Cloonfad have ten points while Dysart and M D Town have thirteen going into their last game.
Next week end will also see the final of the Division 1 and Division 2 Cups being played. In the Division 1 Cup Glen Celtic play Brazukas and Shiven Rovers play Ahascragh United on this Wednesday evening at 8.00 pm The winners will meet in the Final at Lecarrow on Saturday evening with a kick off time of 7.00 pm
The Division 2 Cup Final features Skyvalley Rovers and Lough Harps on Sunday morning at eleven o clock at the Leagues ground Lecarrow.