- Douglas Hall won the standout senior head-to-head back in 2008 (4-0)
- Castlebar Celtic enter this game on the back of a 5-1 victory over Ballyheane in the Mayo Super League
- Douglas Hall's last widely reported competitive result was a 1-0 win over Fanad United in the FAI Cup
A close encounter is expected in this cup tie
Douglas Hall and Castlebar Celtic meet in an FAI Cup knockout tie where the winner will enter the last 16 and have a chance of claiming a bigger payday. The oddsmakers are on Douglas Hall's side here, but we're not so sure.
DHL are listed at 77/100 against Castlebar Celtic, who are 133/50 to progress while the draw is 14/5. In a cup tie where anything can happen, we're leaning towards the draw at 14/5 as the main selection, but there is an alternative punt available that may come in…
Structure vs territory should keep it tense
Douglas Hall have been solid but not spectacular in the Munster Senior League, with their current table snapshot putting them on 28 points at the time of writing. Stephen Bermingham's men are usually well-drilled, tough to break down and have a knack for being compact and disciplined in possession.
Colm MacGiolla Bhride gives them an outlet up top while their set-piece threat could play a factor in a tight cup clash. The hosts do have some real quality in their ranks, but ultimately they are a team set up to make things ugly for the visitors and sit deep while trying to catch them on the break.
Castlebar are coached by Stevie Gavin, and his men are equally capable of being patient or going direct. The visitors enter this encounter on the back of a 5-1 win over Ballyheane in the Mayo Super League and they also progressed via a 3-0 walkover.
Castlebar have the cutting edge to progress
The Mayo side have been near the top of the Mayo Super League, and reports suggest that they have just edged three points clear in the Super League after a key run of multi-goal wins.
Their big danger man is Dylan Felle, who has hit a hat-trick in the league already this season and looks a real handful when he gets the ball in front of goal. Daniel Ajenipa and Jason Hunt offer plenty more depth, so Stevie Gavin has plenty of ways to attack the game.
We think this game will be tight, but Castlebar are in form and have more bite. If they can get going early, we could see this clash develop into a comfortable win and so Castlebar win and over 1.5 goals looks a solid fit to the script.
