Cliffoney Celtic are removed
GURTEEN Celtic, although not in action last weekend, continue to lead the Sligo Southern Hotel Super League with the finish line getting closer.
The top tier standings were adjusted following Cliffoney Celtic’s explusion from the competition and the subsequent distribution of points from the north Sligo club’s 24 games (which were all denoted in the season’s records as 3-0 wins for their opponents).
Leaders Gurteen Celtic, who have six games left, are now eight points clear of second-placed Cartron United, who lost 4-2 away to Ballymote Celtic last Sunday.
Ballymote took a 1-0 lead through Colm Duffy’s 37th minute goal. Donal Gallagher cancelled this out when he brought Cartron level inside the first five minutes of the second-half.
This equaliser provoked a massive response from Ballymote, who scored three times thanks to Paul Logan, Jack Hever and Barry Cafferky.
Clive Brennan scored for Cartron, who would end up losing for only the fourth time in 18 games.
Defending champions MCR FC have slipped back to fifth in the table. They lost 4-3 away to Strand Celtic last Friday night as Aaron
NORTH Sligo’s Cliffoney Celtic have been ejected from this season’s Sligo Southern Hotel Super League.
This sanction was imposed by the Sligo-Leitrim and District Soccer League following Cliffoney’s inability to field a team in their scheduled Sligo Southern Hotel Super League game against leaders Gurteen Celtic on the Sunday before last (April 7).
Because this was Cliffoney’s second time to give a walkover in the 2023-24 campaign they were removed from the competition as per rule.
All the games that Cliffoney played became 3-0 wins for their opponents and their remaining fixtures were recorded as 3-0 wins for the sides they were due to
O’Boyle’s hat-trick inspired the home side’s victory. Donagh Crowne’s 14th minute goal put MCR in front but 20 minutes later Strand were level when Aaron O’Boyle scored.
Keith Nibbs’ goal after 66 minutes restored MCR’s lead and then Donagh Crowne’s second goal of the night made it 3-1 with 10 minutes of normal time left. A quick-fire brace from Aaron O’Boyle brought Strand level at 3-3 and then Oran McDonagh scored the winning goal in the 89th minute.
MCR, who have lost three times in 15 games, have three games in hand on the leaders Gurteen and will need to take maximum points from this backlog in order to revive their title challenge.
Also in the top flight last weekend, Calry Bohs were 9-0 winners over Glenview Stars in a one-sided encounter at MacSharry Park last Sunday. Eoin Nicholson scored six goals for a Calry outfit that led 5-0 at half-time. Also on target for Calry were Patrick Woulfe, Ivan Paramonov and Gavin Lynch.
Arrow Harps drew 2-2 at home with Manor play. Before that game against Gurteen, Cliffoney had played 18 times in the top flight this season – they had recorded eight wins, one draw and nine losses.
Furthermore, all of Cliffoney’s goalscorers, including Jack Davitt, who netted 10 times in the Sligo Southern Hotel Super League, had their records expunged.
Meanwhile, Leitrim side Carrick Town fell foul of the same SLDSL rule in February and were removed from the Sligo Pallets Premier League.
Prior to the decision by the SligoLeitrim and District League, Carrick were struggling at the bottom of the second tier – they had won just one of their 19 games.
Rangers. The visitors led 2-0 at the break courtesy of goals from Brian McDonald and Diarmuid Giblin. Karl McKenna’s 62nd minute goal sparked the Arrow Harps revival and 13 minutes later Sligo-Leitrim player Luke Flynn landed the equaliser from Patrick Kenny’s assist.
THE Sligo Pallets Premier League season schedule was completed last Sunday with the meeting of Ballygawley Celtic and Ballisodare United. Ballisodare, the away side, won 3-0. All three goals came in the first-half – Gary Anderson, Adam Grace and Paul Scanlon scored for Ballisodare, who finished third in the standings behind champions Aughanagh Celtic and runners-up Merville United.
The number of goals scored by Eoin Nicholson for Calry Bohs against Glenview Stars last Sunday.
DROMAHAIR FC were knocked out of the Connacht Football Association Men’s Junior Shield at the quarter-final stage – last Sunday they lost 4-3 after extra-time to Roscommon’s Ballinagare Manor United.
It was 3-3 at the end of normal time. Dromahair
P W D 22 20 1 22 17 1 22 16 0 22 13 2 22 11 2 22 10 2 22 9 2 22 8 2 22 6 5 22 6 3 22 6 0 22 0 0
L F A Diff 1 87 26 +61 4 73 39 +34 6 81 37 +44 7 57 46 +11 9 71 51 +20 10 55 50 +5 11 56 58 -2 12 58 83 -25 11 44 65 -21 13 43 66 -23 16 33 71 -38 22 0 66 -66
Aughanagh Celtic Merville Utd Ballisodare Utd Coolaney Utd Benbulben FC Ballygawley Celtic Calry Bohs Res Dromahair FC Kilglass-E’crone Utd Strand Celtic Res Valley Rovers Carrick Town
RESULTS
Played on Friday, April 12
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
ROUND 22: Strand Celtic 4, MCR FC 3
Pts 61 52 48 41 35 32 29 26 23 21 18 0
Played on Sunday, April 14
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
ROUND SIX: Ballymote Celtic 4, Cartron United 2 ROUND 22: Calry Bohs 9, Glenview Stars 0; Arrow Harps 2, Manor Rangers 2
Sligo Pallets Premier League
ROUND 15: Ballygawley Celtic 0, Ballisodare United 3
Connacht FA Men’s Junior Shield
QUARTER-FINAL: Dromahair FC 3, Ballinagare Manor United (Roscommon) 4 AET
Played on Tuesday, April 16
Frank Kennedy Memorial Cup
FIRST ROUND: Ballymote Celtic 5, St John’s FC 6; Glenview Stars P Manor Rangers P; Strand Celtic 0, Calry Bohs 1
The Glasshouse Hotel Cup
FIRST ROUND: Calry Bohs Res 0, Strand Celtic Res 2
FIXTURES
First named team has home advantage unless otherwise stated. The referee for each fixture is denoted in brackets.
Thursday, April 18
Frank Kennedy Memorial Cup
QUARTER-FINAL: Carbury FC v Arrow Harps (MacSharry Park, 6.45pm) (P McLoughlin)
The Glasshouse Hotel Cup
FIRST ROUND: Ballisodare United v Ballygawley Celtic (8.15pm) (Mark Irwin)
Friday, April 19
The Glasshouse Hotel Cup
QUARTER-FINAL: Coolaney United v Benbulben FC (6.45pm) (D Basquille)
Saturday, April 20
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
ROUND 23: Real Tubber v Strand Celtic (MacSharry Park, 7.45pm) (D Basquille)
FIXTURES
First named team has home advantage unless otherwise stated. The referee for each fixture is denoted in brackets.
Sunday, April 21
Sligo Southern Hotel Super League
ROUND 23 – GAMES START AT 11AM: MCR FC v Arrow Harps (P Kilcoyne); Manor Rangers v Ballymote Celtic (P McLoughlin); Gurteen Celtic v Calry Bohs (S Fallon); Glenview Stars v Carbury FC (O McLoughlin)
trailed 2-0 at half-time and were later 3-0 down. They made a remarkable comeback as goals from Donnacha Devaney, Niall Hopper and Peter Cogan tied matters and brought this provincial quarter-final into extra-time. The visitors scored what proved to be the winning goal with four minutes left in the second period of extra-time.