Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty

The long drawn-out saga in the Connacht Junior Cup is expected to come to a conclusion this morning (Friday) when the FAI will hear Castlebar Celtic’s appeal at noon in relation to their semi-final with Salthill Devon.

The Mayo club won that semi-final 1-0, but Salthill Devon lodged an appeal against the result standing over the fact the game was refereed by a team of officials from Mayo, instead of neutral ones.

That appeal was successful, with the Connacht FA ordering the semi-final to be replayed, but Celtic appealed that decision to the national authorities, the outcome of which is expected to be announced today.

Depending on the FAI decision and how quickly it is relayed to the teams, the rescheduled game between Castlebar and Devon is down for this Sunday in Celtic Park at 2pm, with the winners facing Maree-Oranmore in the final on Sunday week, June 16, in Eamonn Deacy Park.

Michael Byrne Cup

Salthill Devon 1

Athenry 0

Mike Rafferty in Eamonn Deacy Park

Appearing in their third final in a row, Salthill Devon retained the Michael Byrne Cup with a merited success over Athenry in Eamonn Deacy Park on Wednesday evening and in the process completed a league and cup double for the second year in succession.

A second-half Jack Arra goal was the deciding factor on a night when chances were hard to find. Energy levels were low after a long season, and it was a contest that never rose to any great level of excitement.

The holders always looked like they had the ability to pull something from the hat, but this was an occasion that will be remembered for their success rather than performance as Salthill Devon collected a third trophy of the season following earlier successes in the Champions Cup and Premier Division.

The early exchanges saw a lot of posturing as two sides who are very familiar with one another tried to retain possession, with a lot of defensive passing, while the goalkeepers were overused as part of the retention.

Pictured: John Byrne, son of Michael Byrne, presenting the Michael Byrne cup to Salthill Devon captain Shane O’Rourke, who is surrounded by his team-mates. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy.