Maybe not super but a good start to the league nonetheless

It might be foolish to make proclamations following the first round of a campaign that has 17 more rounds to go, but - whisper it - this year's Elverys Sport Super League is already showing signs that it has the potential to be a lot more exciting than last year's.

There were two standout results over the course of the opening weekend. Firstly, on Saturday evening, newly-promoted Ballyglass went to Celtic Park and scored a 2-0 victory over last year's runners-up, Castlebar Celtic.

It won't do much for Celtic's confidence but it will do a lot for Ballyglass, who can cause more surprises over the course of the season.

The second big result - Ballina Town's 2-0 victory over defending champions Westport United - can probably be regarded as not as great a surprise but given where both teams had come from last year and over the course of the winter, it's hardly less impressive.

Westport will recover, and quickly too, once new manager John Brennan has had more time to implement his ideas, and if any team can finish above them then they'll likely be champions.

For Ballina, if they can replicate in future games the intensity with which they approached that opener against Westport, then they will have to be considered contenders.

There was a little less excitement in the remaining games, in which Iorras Aontaithe won 1-0 away to Conn Rangers and Ballyheane were held to a scoreless draw at home to Straide & Foxford United, but all told, the opening weekend bodes well for the season ahead.