Ballinahown F.C were crowned Division 1 Champions after their 4–0 win over nearest challengers St. Johns Athletic second side at Lecarrow.
Ballinahown are playing their first season in the Roscommon & District league, having won 10 and drawn one of their 11 league games.
They will take their place in the Premier Division next season and are sure to do well.
So far, they have scored 39 goals in the Division 1 with Terry Byrne scoring 12. Michael Monaghan struck twice in the first 18 minutes, Christopher Smith and Terry Beirne added two more to seal victory.
Afterwards, Niall Kelly, league vice-chairman, presented the Division 1 Champions cup to the Ballinahown Captain David Harrington and his assistant James Corrigan.
The race for the Premier Division championship is getting interesting with two of the top four teams losing their games.
Title holders St. Johns Athletic were beaten 4–0 away to Castlerea Celtic but are still three points ahead of second placed Boyle Celtic. Castlerea have a game less played and only three games remaining.
Castlerea made it four league wins in row without conceding a goal.
Jack Higgins opened the scoring on the 31 minutes after a great cross from Kailin Barlow. The St. John’s keeper wasn’t able to hold onto it and Higgins volleyed to the net.
The second-half was like the first and the turning point of the game came when Celtic keeper Killian Higgins pulled off a world class save on 48 minutes.
Two minutes later Dara Curran scored a brilliant goal after a Jay McCartney through ball. Ryan Larkin scored a supper header from a Jay McCartney corner on 75 minutes. 10 minutes later Jack Higgins landed his second after great work from Sean Og Bergin.
Moore United fall to Boyle
Moore United were beaten 2–1 by second placed Boyle Celtic in a game played at Lecarrow.
The defeat all but ends Moore’s hopes of winning the Premier Division. Moore are seven points behind the leaders with just three games remaining.
Luke Glennon gave Boyle a 1–0 lead after 24 minutes. Charles Nevin levelled the scoring with nine left to play when he converted a penalty kick.
Just when it looked like the game would finish level Callum Andrews got a winner for Boyle Celtic.
Skyvalley Rovers picked up three valuable points from their 2–1 win away to Ballymoe FC.
Conor Kennedy son of the great John gave Ballymoe a 1–0 half-time lead and it could have been many more only for some excellent defending from Donagh Monaghan, Diarmuid Killeen and Eoin Keogh.
Skyvalley made a couple of changes early in the second-half and were the better team for the remainder of the game.
Eoin Keogh forced the Ballymoe keeper into a good save and Mark Richardson came close to scoring for Skyvalley following good work by Robby Brooks.
On 70 minutes, Emmet Kelly created an opening for Mark Richardson, and he scored with a fine strike.
Five minutes later David Daly won the ball in the middle of the park and passed to Richardson who found Conal Moore who volley to the Ballymoe net and gave Skyvalley Rovers a 2-1 lead.
Ballymoe came close to getting back in the game but some good tackles by Garry Canavan and Keelan Galvin kept them in front until the final whistle.
Shiven Rovers picked up three valuable points in their bid to avoid relegation, beating Dunmore Town 6–2 at Dunmore.
Shiven with important win
Thomas Byrne gave the hosts a 1–0 lead after four minutes. However, man-of-the-match Stephen Murray levelled the game after 20 minutes.
Frank Kilcommins added a second for Shiven before Stephen Murray completed his hat-trick and Michael Doyle added two more for the Newbridge side.Ben Glynn added a second for Dunmore.
In Division 1, Moylough hosted C P Ajax on Sunday.
Moylough then found the net with good play down the wing from Leo Donnellan. Donnellan’s back post cross was tapped in by Dermot Hughes.
Moylough got a second not long after that from a corner which Mike Foley found Dermot Hughes to score with a header.
CP Ajax got one back through Daniel Connolly to leave the score 2-1 at half-time.
Moylough began to turn the screw after the break. Dermot Hughes completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Leo Donnellan was fouled.
Moylough got a fourth when Sean Kelly scored. Joe Whyte came on and scored to make it five-one and while Joey Kilkenny added a second for the Castleplunket side it was Leo Donnellan who scored again for the winners to make it 6-2.
Cloonfad United are in third place, just a point behind second placed St. John’s Athletic with three games remaining.
Cloonfad beat Kilkerrin United 3–0 at Cloonfad. Matthew Freyne gave Cloonfad an early lead. Andy Glennon and Michael McGarry added two more in the second-half.
Ballinasloe Town are still in with a chance of making the runners up spot following their hard earned 2–1 win over Ballaghaderreen at Ballinasloe.
Cathal Horan gave the visitors the lead after 32 minutes. However, Joshua Gaynor had the side’s level at half-time. Fayaz Choudhry Musadique scored a winner early in the second-half for Ballinasloe.
Division two championship taking shape
The Glenamaddy side Glen Celtic are 13 points clear at the top of the Division 2 table but there is still a good few games left to play.
Second placed Ballyboro were held to a 3–3 draw with Castlerea Celtic “B” at Castlerea.
The ever-reliable Gerry Ward scored two and Jack Woods one for the hosts. Aidan Dooney, Derek Murray and Joe Kelleher added one each to secure a valuable point.
Cam Celtic/Dysart kept up the chase of a promotion place with a 6–2 win over Boyle “B” at Dysart.
Adam and Peter Cummins, Gareth Mulligan, Daniel Kelly, Jams Curley and David McDonnell scored for the winners. Conor Calpin replied for Boyle.
In an unusual game Roscommon United first team beat their second team 5–1 at Roscommon. Mark Dwyer and Gustavo Araujo scored two each. David Tworkowski one for the winners with Nathan Hannon replying for the losers.
Rahara welcomed Ballinagare to Clover Park and it took a last gasp equaliser well into stoppage time for Rahara to get a deserved share of the points.
Rahara started off brightly and were unlucky not to find the net through Darren Donnelly after hard work in the build-up by Anthony Kelly.
However, it was the visitors who struck first with Aaron Dowd from a corner. The hosts equalised through a header from Conor McCormack who got onto the end of an Evan Donnelly free-kick.
In the second-half, Joseph Looby put the west Roscommon side into the lead again on the hour mark. Rahara gambled and pushed men forward to win a free in the final seconds.
Rahara move on
This time it was roles reversed when McCormack found Evan Donnelly who flicked home with the head to draw the game.
Lough Harps beat a very young Cloonfad second side 2–1 before a big attendance at Ballinlough.
Eamon Phillips gave the Ballinlough side a 2–0 lead at half-time. Whereas, Marcus Denning pulled one back for the visitors, they just could not get an equaliser.
Women's League title hits the home straight
The battle for the Women’s title continues with only a single point, in favour of Dunmore, separating them from Ballaghaderreen. However, Dunmore have a game less played.
Ballaghaderreen were made to battle all the way before taking all three points from their home game against Kilkerrrin United.
The teams were level at the break and with 10 minutes remaining, Ballaghaderreen scored the only goal of the game.
A Leanne free-kick was well stopped by the Kilkerrin keeper, but Jessica Feeney was in like a flash to score from the rebound.
Kilkerrin came close to getting an equaliser, but the home side held out to take all three points.
Shiven Rovers and Boyle Celtic drew 1–1 at Newbridge. Maeve O’Brien for Shiven and Annie O’Connor for the visitors were the goal scorers.
Roscommon United and Castlerea Celtic were involved in a six goal thriller with the teams finishing level at the end.
Tia Cronin scored two and Hannah Kerr one for the hosts. Kiera Maloney, Megan Flanagan and Sarah Diggins replied for Castlerea Celtic. Dunmore received a walk over Carrick Town.
