ROUNDUP: FAI Cup pandemonium grips Mayo soccer scene

THIS weekend, the regular excitement and fanfare of the Mayo club soccer leagues was put on ice, as clubs buckled in for the pandemonium of knockout football.

Here, we’ll run you through the action as sides secured their place in the draw for Round Three of the FAI Junior Cup, as well as any other business from the leagues.

FAI JUNIOR CUP

There was no shortage of Mayo representation in Round Two, and a mixed bag in terms of results.

We’ll start with the meeting of Crossmolina and Ballinasloe Town. Ryan McCombe’s net-shaker midway through the opening half had the East Galway side rocking at the break.

However, the men from Crossmolina turned the tide, with Martin Deady equalising and Darragh Duffy netting an 81st-minute winner.

Ross Fitzgerald and Liam Kilcullen handed Ballinrobe Town the dream start on the road to Swinford. However, the day took a sour turn.

Ben Place was shown the line, and Aiden Dunleavy converted the penalty to leave the minimum between the camps at the interval.

The visitors did everything to hold out, but came undone with ten to go. Luke McNicholas and Evan Rowley flipped the script, before Dunleavy’s injury-time strike took the game away from the Robesiders.

Ballyglass were unable to travel to Athlone to take on Ballinahown. Therefore, the Roscommon League side were awarded a 3-0 win.

LEAGUE ONE

With many teams involved in knockout action over the course of the weekend, the meeting of Conn Rangers ‘B’ and Castlebar Town took centre stage in Mayo soccer’s third tier.

The tie was level at the changing of ends, with neither net breached.

However, James Brogan’s strike, turning in veteran Alan Dempsey’s pass, was enough to secure the victory as the Rangers moved to joint-top of the table alongside Bangor Hibs as the only two unbeaten sides in the division.

The day also proved to be an important one for Ukrainian net-minder Hryhorii Pashkov, as his clean sheet on his debut goes down as the side’s first in ten matches, a run which stretches back to last May.

LEAGUE TWO

Ballyvary Blue Bombers showed class to win on the road against Crossmolina.

Keaton Walsh’s own goal had the hosts rocked, and Yevhenii Liubchenko doubled the deficit before the sides headed for the dressing rooms.

Liubchenko made it three before long. Jason Muldoon pulled one back, but the game was gone, as the Blue Bombers continued their assault on the top of the table.

Charlestown Athletic welcomed Ballinrobe Town B in their second game after returning at senior level.

Shane Ryan and Lucas Victor Lima Da Ora opened the scoring for Ballinrobe, before Rodrigo Da Costa and Isaia Caldaras helped pile on the misery.

Robert Jordan and Kacper Gawalkiewicz brought it back to two late in the day, but the destination of the league points was long secured by then.