Vincent Brooks rounds-up the action from a dramatic final day in the Premier Division of the Roscommon and District Football League as well as all the Cup action.
Congratulations are extended to Ballymoe FC who are the new Roscommon and District Football League Champions. After eight and a half months of football the title was only decided at the final whistle on the final day.
Going into the last series of games Ballymoe needed to win their game at home to Moore United and hope Ballinasloe Town would beat title holders Castlerea Celtic at Castlerea.
With eight minutes left to play Castlerea Celtic were looking good but they conceded two goals in the last minutes and Ballymoe held their nerve to beat Moore United 1 – 0. As a result Ballymoe F C, who won fifteen and only lost two of their eighteen games finished one point ahead of both Castlerea Celtic and Ballinasloe.
With fifteen minutes played Keith Muldoon swung over a perfect corner kick and Maurice Connaughton volleyed to the Moore net. With regular updates from the Castlerea Celtic game the tension mounted and Moore United came very close to scoring on a few occasions. Amid almost unbearable tension and with the game finished ten minutes earlier in Castlerea Ballymoe F C held on to win their first Premier title and their first trophy in ten seasons.
Castlerea Celtic were slightly the better side at home to Ballinasloe Town and took the lead through Ronan Curran with eight minutes played in the second half. They seemed set to retain the trophy but threw all their hard work away in the last few minutes of the game. With eighty-three played Liam Lynch levelled the game with a neat header for Ballinasloe Town. Castlerea Celtic were still assured of a playoff but three minutes later Patrick Evason won a corner kick and from the corner kick David Cullen lashed the ball to the Castlerea Celtic net.
Earlier in the week Ballymoe FC beat St Johns Athletic 5-0 at Ballymoe to advance to the Semi-Final of the Premier Division Cup. David and Keith Keegan, James Connaughton and Daniel Malone gave Ballymoe a 4- 0 lead at half time and Daniel Malone added a second after the break. Ballymoe will play Moore United at Ballymoe in the Semi-Final.
Elsewhere in The Herald sponsored Premier Division Shiven Rovers defeated Brazukas 2 – 0.
Cam Celtic booked a place in the Roscommon and District Football League Second Division Cup Quarter Final with a 2-0 win over Roscommon United. Strokestown United qualified for the Final thanks to a 2-1 win over Cloonfad United.