MCR FC are further ahead in Super race
WITH each passing week in the Sligo Southern Hotel Super League, MCR FC move closer to the title. This is due to a combination of the leaders’ flawless sequence of results – so far a 100% record from 14 games – and the inability of defending champions Carbury FC to close the gap.
Last weekend MCR won again and Carbury, in second place, dropped two more points when they were held to a draw – their third stalemate of the season. MCR are 12 points clear and although Carbury have a game in hand, the title is MCR’s to lose.
On Sunday last MCR won 4-0 at home to Arrow Harps. Goals from Donagh Crowne and Bradley Fowley left it 2-0 at half-time. Arrow Harps missed a 60th minute spot-kick – if this had been converted then MCR might have been under a degree of pressure.
In any case, the winners scored twice more through Adam Devaney and Kailum Burns, who netted in the last minute.
On Saturday night Carbury FC must have felt confident in the opening 35 minutes as they were 2-0 ahead against Calry Bohs at MacSharry Park. Tyler Stallard and leading scorer Jason Lyons scored under lights on the astroturf pitch. But fourth-placed Calry Bohs, last season’s Premier Division champions, kept trying and Paddy Woulfe’s goal five minutes after the restart halved the deficit.
They levelled matters when Bryan Lynch scored 16 minutes later. Lynch, indeed, had a chance to score again but it finished all square. Cartron United, third in the table, won 2-1 away to Coolaney United. The visitors’ late, late show brought them win number nine of the season when Enda McGowan converted a controversial spot-kick in the sixth minute of additional time. Oisin Mannion put Cartron ahead after 24
RESULTS
Played on Friday, January 27 Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
Real Tubber 1, Strand Celtic 4
Played on Saturday, January 28 Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
Carbury FC 2, Calry Bohs 2
Played on Sunday, January 29
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
St John’s FC 7, Aughanagh Celtic 3; Manor Rangers 1, Ballisodare United 3; Coolaney United 1, Cartron United 2; MCR FC 4, Arrow Harps 0
Sligo Pallets Premier League
Kilglass-Enniscrone United 4, Strand Celtic Reserves 2; Ballygawley Celtic 4, Glenview Stars 8; Carrick Town 3, Benbulben FC 3; Ballymote Celtic 3, Dromahair FC 2
FIXTURES
First named team has home advantage unless otherwise stated. The referee for each fixture is denoted in brackets. Friday, February 3
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
Ballisodare United v Cliffoney Celtic (8.15pm) (T Butler)
Saturday, February 4
TOP SCORERS
16 GOALS: Raffaele
21 GOALS: Jason Lyons (Carbury FC); 19 GOALS: Eoin Nicholson (Calry Bohs);
(MCR FC); 11 GOALS:
Cretaro (Real Tubber); 12 GOALS: Gareth Kelly (Carbury FC), Donagh Crowne
(Strand Celtic).
Kailum Burns (MCR FC), Malachy Spratt (St John’s FC); 10: Dylan Martin
23 GOALS: Jack Hever 25 GOALS: Cian Kilcoyne (Ballymote Celtic), Cathal Davey (Ballygawley Celtic);
Flynn (Gurteen Celtic); 15 GOALS: (Ballymote Celtic); 17 GOALS: Dylan Walsh (Gurteen Celtic); 16 GOALS: Billy
Thomas Sweeney (Gurteen Celtic), Shane Beirne (Carrick Town).
minutes – this goal was later cancelled out by Ciaran McMurray’s strike for Coolaney.
Also on Sunday, St John’s FC were 7-3 winners against Aughanagh Celtic at MacSharry Park. Scoring for St John’s, who led 4-2 at half-time, were Malachy Spratt and Conor Healy , each of whom scored three times, and Michael Doyle.
Connacht Junior Shield SECOND ROUND: Benbulben FC v Loughrea Rams ‘B’ (Galway) (MacSharry Park, 4pm) (S Fallon)
Sunday, February 5
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
Coolaney United v Real Tubber (11am) (R Zosche)
Sligo Pallets Premier League
GAMES START AT 11AM: Kilglass-Enniscrone United v Chaffpool United (M Farrell); Dromahair FC v Calry Bohs Reserves (J Griffin); Glenview Stars v Gurteen Celtic (G Gilmartin); Valley Rovers v Strand Celtic Reserves (E Rainey); Carrick Town v Ballygawley Celtic (C Gunning)
Connacht Junior Cup
FOURTH ROUND: Oughterard AFC (Galway) v Cartron United (2pm); Calry Bohs v Arrow Harps (11am) (Paul Kilcoyne); Manor Rangers v Colga FC ‘A’ (Galway) (2pm) (P McLoughlin); University of Galway v St John’s FC (2pm); MCR FC v Cloonfad United (Roscommon) (2pm) (O McLoughlin); Salthill Devon ‘A’ (Galway) v Carbury FC (2pm)
Connacht Junior Shield
SECOND ROUND: Ballymote Celtic v Castlebar Celtic ‘B’ (Mayo) (2pm) (S McGarry); Benbulben FC v Loughrea
Rams ‘B’ (Galway) (4pm) (S Fallon)
Aughanagh’s goals came from James Bruen, Seamus Keane and Sean Bruen.
Ballisodare United won 3-1 away to Manor Rangers. Goals from Keith Cotter and Stephen Fallon gave Ballisodare a 2-0 advantage. Seamus Ryder’s goal for Manor left it 2-1 at the break. Richard Hunter’s 55th minute goal restored
STANDINGS
SLIGO SOUTHERN HOTEL SUPER LEAGUE Pts 42 30 30 27 20 16 14 14 13
9
9
9
7
MCR FC
Carbury FC Cartron Utd
Calry Bohs
Real Tubber St John’s FC Strand Celtic Manor Rangers Ballisodare Utd Arrow Harps Cliffoney Celtic Coolaney Utd Aughanagh Celtic
SLIGO PALLETS PREMIER LEAGUE
L F A Diff Pts 2 79 19 +60 39 2 75 32 +43 33 4 53 37 +16 28 5 48 41 +7 27 9 56 58 -2 25 6 34 45 -11 23 7 37 39 -2 22 6 38 43 -5 22 8 27 48 -21 15 10 28 48 -20 14 11 39 68 -29 11 12 28 64 -36 11
Gurteen Celtic Ballymote Celtic Glenview Stars Benbulben FC Dromahair FC Chaffpool Utd Ballygawley Celtic Carrick Town
Calry Bohs Res Kilglass-E’crone Utd Valley Rovers Strand Celtic Res
Ballisodare’s two-goal lead.
Meanwhile, Strand Celtic, who were recently knocked out of the FAI Junior Cup, were 4-1 winners over Real Tubber at MacSharry Park last Friday night. Leo Doherty scored a hat-trick and JJ McGowan was also on target. Raffaele Cretaro scored for Real Tubber.