Sligo-Leitrim and District Soccer League
BIT O’RED SKY: Sligo Rovers players prepare for the exchange of pre-match handshakes with their Derry City counterparts prior to the start of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division fixture at The Showgrounds on Saturday night last. In the background there’s smoke from the pyrotechnics let off by the Derry supporters. The game ended 0-0.
THERE was a reduced schedule in the Sligo Southern Hotel last weekend due to Sligo-Leitrim’s FAI Oscar Traynor InterLeague Cup quarter-final away to Wexford on Sunday last.
None of the major players had games so it is as you were at the top of the standings – leaders Gurteen Celtic are on 31 points from 12 games, followed by Cartron United (29 points, 13 games) and Carbury FC (25 points, 11 games). Champions MCR FC are back in fifth (23 points, 11 games).
One of the top flight games that went ahead saw Cliffoney Celtic dish out a 7-1 defeat to Glenview Stars at MacSharry Park last Sunday morning. Gavin Gilsenan opened the scoring for Cliffoney in the 15th minute – a little over 10 minutes later this goal was cancelled out by Jake Drewe, who converted a penalty for his 11th goal of the season.
But this was the sole highlight for Glenview, who found themselves 3-1 down at the break after further Cliffoney goals from Conor Watters and Jack Davitt.
It was one-way traffic in the second-half as Cliffoney scored four more goals. Substitute Mohamed Belghanem notched a brace, James Warnock also found the net and Jack Davitt scored his second goal of the day. Davitt’s second goal came from a spot-kick in stoppage time.
Elsewhere in the top tier, bottom of the table Real Tubber lost for the 14th time – their latest setback was last Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Ballymote Celtic under lights at MacSharry Park.
A goal up at half-time courtesy of Zak O’Dowd’s 43rd minute finish from a Colm Duffy assist, the winners doubled their lead in the 58th minute when Niall Colsh scored.
A good result for Ballymote, their fifth win in 13 games, was completed by goals from teenager Luke Scanlon, who notched his first senior competitive goal for the club, and substitute Emmanuel Oyewusi. This
RESULTS
Played on Friday, February 23
Sligo Pallets Premier League
ROUND 15: Benbulben FC 1, Aughanagh Celtic 2
Played on Saturday, February 24
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
ROUND 25: Real Tubber 0, Ballymote Celtic 4
RESULTS
Played on Sunday, February 25
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
ROUND 12: Cliffoney Celtic 7, Glenview Stars 1
Sligo Pallets Premier League
ROUND FOUR: Kilglass-Enniscrone United 1, Coolaney United 1; Ballisodare United 6, Ballygawley Celtic 3
Connacht FAMen’s Connacht Shield
Calry Bohs Reserves 0, Dromahair FC 1; Dynamo Blues (Galway) 6, St John’s FC 4 (AET)
FAI Oscar Traynor Inter-League Cup
QUARTER-FINAL: Wexford 0, Sligo-Leitrim 1
FIXTURES
First named team has home advantage unless otherwise stated. The referee for each fixture is denoted in brackets.
Friday, March 1
Sligo Pallets Premier League
ROUND 22: Benbulben FC v Dromahair FC (Astroturf
was also a first goal for Oyewusi at this level.
AUGHANAGH Celtic, current leaders of the Sligo Pallets Premier League, won again last weekend – no surprise there – but the major talking point was Carrick Town’s removal from the competition (in accordance with rule 45 and 45a).
With the Leitrim club no longer involved in this season’s Premier League, all their results have been recorded as 3-0 wins for their opponents (with previous results nullified).
Prior to last weekend’s decision by the SligoLeitrim and District League, Carrick were bottom of the Premier League – they had won just one of their 19 games.
At the other end of the table, Aughanagh defeated Benbulben FC 2-1 under lights in Ballisodare on Friday night last. A goal from Benbulben’s Daniel Watters put Aughanagh on the back foot but there was to be no shock.
James Kiernan equalised five minutes before half-time and Ciaran O’Connor supplied an 89th minute winner from a well-struck free-kick.
The number of wins for Carrick Town before their removal from this season’s second tier. pitch, Ballisodare, 8.15pm) (E Rainey)
Saturday, March 2
Connacht FA Men’s Junior Cup
ROUND FOUR: Carbury FC v Mervue United ‘A’ (Galway) (MacSharry Park, 2pm) (P McLoughlin)
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
ROUND 18: Real Tubber v Gurteen Celtic (MacSharry Park, 8pm) (S Fallon)
FIXTURES
First named team has home advantage unless otherwise stated. The referee for each fixture is denoted in brackets.
Sunday, March 3
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
ROUND 17 – GAMES START AT 11AM: Calry Bohs v Ballymote Celtic (O McLoughlin); Strand Celtic v Cliffoney Celtic (J McMorrow); St John’s FC v Glenview Stars (MacSharry Park) (G Gilmartin); MCR FC v Manor Rangers (R Zoschke)
Sligo Pallets Premier League
ROUND 22 – GAMES START AT 11AM: Calry Bohs v Coolaney United (K McDonagh); Ballygawley Celtic v Kilglass-Enniscrone United (J Griffin); Ballisodare United v Strand Celtic Reserves (M Farrell); Aughanagh Celtic v Valley Rovers (T Butler)
Connacht FA Men’s Junior Cup
ROUND FOUR: Cartron United v Castlebar Celtic ‘A’ (Mayo) (MacSharry Park, 2pm) (P Kilcoyne)
Connacht FA Women’s Junior Shield
SEMI-FINAL: Athenry FC (Galway) v Gurteen Celtic
Aughanagh remain three points clear of second-placed Merville United, who have played a game more.
Ballisodare United and Ballygawley Celtic shared nine goals – six of these were scored by the winners, Ballisodare, with Ballygawley scoring three. Ballisodare were well in control at half-time as they held a 5-0 lead courtesy of goals from Darragh Healy (2), Adam Grace, Luke Middleton and Aaron Scanlon. Ballygawley, who lost John Paul Henry to a first-half red card, faced an impossible task and it got worse for them when Kevin O’Hara 64th minute goal made it 6-0.
There was a response, though, from Ballygawley, who scored three times – Ryan Walsh bagged a brace and James Mackey also scored. But they suffered another dismissal because Cian McGowan was sent off late on.
Also last Sunday, Kilglass-Enniscrone United drew 1-1 with Coolaney United. KilglassEnniscrone, the home side, struck first when Oisin Finnerty scored after four minutes. Coolaney cancelled this out when Michael Mulvey hit the net in the 16th minute.
It stayed at 1-1 for the rest of this contest as both teams could have scored again – but
STANDINGS
Gurteen Celtic Cartron Utd Carbury FC Arrow Harps MCR FC Ballymote Celtic Cliffoney Celtic Glenview Stars Calry Bohs Manor Rangers Strand Celtic St John’s FC
Real Tubber
Aughanagh Celtic Merville Utd Ballisodare Utd Benbulben FC Coolaney Utd Ballygawley Celtic Dromahair FC
Calry Bohs Res Kilglass-E’crone Utd Strand Celtic Res Valley Rovers Carrick Town
TOP SCORERS
P W D 12 10 1 13 9 2 11 8 1 13 7 4 11 7 2 13 5 5 14 6 1 13 6 1 13 5 2 13 4 1 12 2 2 14 2 2 16 1 1
P W D 18 16 1 20 16 1 17 13 0 21 11 1 18 10 2 19 10 1 21 8 1 18 7 2 21 6 4 20 6 3 19 6 0 22 0 0
F 38 46 43 33 32 28 32 31 23 25 15 31 13
F A Diff Pts 71 23 +48 49 68 33 +35 49 64 26 +38 39 69 49 +20 34 48 38 +10 32 50 41 +9 31 56 81 -25 25 50 52 -2 23 40 61 -21 22 39 56 -17 21 32 61 -29 18 0 66 -66 0
SUPER LEAGUE
11 GOALS: Jake Drewe (Glenview Stars); 9 GOALS: Conor Davey (Glenview Stars), Donal Gallagher (Cartron United); 9 GOALS: Ben Tuohy (Arrow Harps); 8 GOALS: Thomas Sweeney (Gurteen Celtic). PREMIER LEAGUE
26 GOALS: Tyler Stallard (Merville United); 16 GOALS: Daniel Watters (Benbulben FC); 14 GOALS: Oisin Gilmartin (Benbulben FC); 12 GOALS: James Kiernan (Aughanagh Celtic); 11 GOALS: Alan Kavanagh (Dromahair FC), Adam Grace (Ballisodare United), Darragh Healy (Ballisodare United).
didn’t – at the scenic Enniscrone venue.
THREE Sligo-Leitrim clubs were involved in Connacht Football Association Men’s Junior Shield games last Sunday. One of these fixture was an all-local tie as Calry Bohs Reserves hosted their Premier League rivals, Dromahair FC, at Hazelwood.
It was the visitors from Leitrim that progressed, however, as Alan Kavanagh’s goal was the difference.
St John’s FC were away to Galway’s Dynamo Blues. The Sligo-Leitrim lost 6-4 after extratime – this exciting game was tied at three goals apiece at the end of normal time.