Ballyhaunis Town look to push on

By Stuart Tynan

WITH the powerhouses of Mayo junior soccer, your Westport Uniteds, Ballina Towns, Castlebar Celtics, etc., it is always a daunting prospect for any promoted team to hold their own.

But that is exactly what Ballyhaunis Town did in avoiding the drop, doing so in the most dramatic of circumstances last year when they beat Straide & Foxford United in a playoff in Solar 21 Park, Milebush, to retain their place in the Super League.

Now under the management of Darren Conway, Ballyhaunis Town will be looking to push on even further this year and Richie Crinnigan is hoping the club an build on the foundations set last year.

“Darren Conway has brought a lot of new ideas to the table. Training has been immense so far and everyone is really happy with it.

“I thought we were a bit unlucky in a few games, especially against Manulla when we lost with the last kick of the game. There is teams there we can take a few points off and we're looking to push a bit further up the table this year.”

Tough test

They face a tough test at home on Sunday afternoon as they welcome reigning Super Cup champions Ballina Town. Much will rest on their talisman Gary Higgins, whose 10 goals last season played a huge part in Ballyhaunis' survival.

Crinnigan hopes Higgins can chip in with a few more goals playing in a more advanced role, while he believes the return of a few familiar faces will be of a huge benefit to the club in the coming months.

“Gary is a fantastic player who can play anywhere. He played a lot in midfield last year. We're going to try and get him to play a little further forward and get a few more goals for us. A few of the lads from Ballyhaunis GAA have come back also and they'll make an impact too.”

Pictured is Ballyhaunis Town's Richie Crinnigan. PHOTO: MICHAEL DONNELLY.