RDFL ROUND UP 03/03/24

Roscommon and District League
Round Up 3rd March 2024
Roscommon and District League Premier Division side Ballinasloe Town are through to round three of the Connacht Shield following a comfortable 5 – 0 win over the Galway League Division 1 side Cregmore / Claregalway at Ballinasloe on Sunday. Azeez Ayinde got a hat trick and Ryan Burke added two more and Josh Mc Carthy one for the winners.

In the only game played in the Premier Division Moore United an C P Ajax drew 2 – 2 at the League grounds Lecarrow. Both teams are out of contention for the league title but are now looking to move away from the congested relegation area.
Moore started brightly pinning CP inside their half.
Moore should have taken the lead when Jack Nevin was put through one on one only for the keeper to deny Jack with a good save.
With this let of CP created a chance of their own with ten played when a nothing ball made its way to the winger Dan Connolly and he squeezed the ball inside the far post.
Moore responded well and were level with thirty played.
A great free kick from Josh Lennon gave the CP keeper no chance to give Moore a deserved equaliser. Moore started the brighter in the second half and took the lead with fifty-five played. Via a Jack Nevin volley following great work from Liam Ryan and Josh Lennon
Moore were comfortably controlling the game only to concede a needless corner with seventy played. The corner wasn't dealt with by the Moore defence and Sam French levelled the game. Near the end the game got a bit scrappy for both teams with Moore pushing forward for the win. Somehow the CP keeper kept a great point-blank effort from Jack Nevin out near the end

Four games in Round 2 of the Joes Bar sponsored Challenge Cup were played over the weekend.

Skyvalley Rovers advanced to round three of the Cup but required a penalty shootout before advancing. It was always going to be a tough task to beat Dunmore Town on their own ground and so it proved on Sunday. Padraig Corbett gave the Taughmaconnell side a 1- 0 lead with eleven played but Thomas Gleeson levelled the game seven minutes before half time. Tom Carey restored the Skyvalley Rovers lead with twenty-four played in the second half, but Thomas Gleeson had the sides level within three minutes. With no scores in the remainder of normal time or extra time the game went to a penalty shootout which was won 4 – 2 by Skyvalley thanks to a good save from Jamie Donoghue and well taken penalties from Darragh Moore Jamie Donoghue Cormac Moore and Keelan Galvin

Cloonfad United beat Division 2 side Rahara Rovers 7 – 0 at Cloonfad. Daithi Gannon scored four Darragh Flynn two and Conor Flynn one for an inform Cloonfad United side.

Moylough 79 were surprised 3 – 1 winners over Ballinagare / manor Utd at Ballinagare. Sean Kelly scored two and Michael Foley one for the winners with Gavin Murray scoring for the losers.

Ballymoe F C are also through to round three following a hard earned 3 – 1 win over Glen Celtic at Glenamaddy. The sides were level at half time but with five played in the second half Damien Goggins broke the deadlock when he scored for Ballymoe. He added a second with sixty-six played but within two minutes the Glen Celtic side were back in the game thanks to Dylan Joyce. Both teams came close to scoring before Richard Thompson sealed a win for Ballymoe with five minutes remaining.

In the first round of the Women’s Challenge Cup Boyle Celtic advanced to the next round following a hard-earned penalty shoot-out win over Kilkerrin United at Boyle. Overall this was a really great game with little between the sides. The shoot out finished 4 – 3 in favour of the home side with Leah Mc Cawley Ciara Byrne Niamh Mc Namara and Emer Callaghan scoring from the penalty spot for Boyle Celtic

Cam Celtic beat Ballaghaderreen 2 – 1 at Brideswell and they also advance to round two. This was a very close affair played in ideal conditions in Brideswell with the home team coming out on top. Ballaghaderreen were first to score with just ten minutes played. Cam came back into the game and levelled mid-way through the half following a super spell of football up the right wing with Marion Nolan getting on the end of an Aoife Coyle cross to give the Ballaghaderreen keeper no chance. The next 60 mins was end to end stuff with both defences on top and just when it looked like extra time was on the cards a mix up in the visitors defence allowed the inrushing Rebecca Collins head the winner with just three minutes left to play.