MAYFIELD UTD JAN 1995

MAYFIELD UNITED UNDER 17s 20/1/95




Mayfield United, one of the top teams in the AUL Under 17

competitions since they were organised a few years back, are once

again prominent. They are going well in the first division and

have once again qualified for the final of the Imperial Hotel

Under 17 League Cup.



Mayfield were pipped by Kilreen Celtic in last season's decider.

Rockmount will provide the competition in the forthcoming final

which it is hoped to play in Turner's Cross, possibly towards the

end of next month or the beginning of March.



The final should be a thriller between two high quality sides.

Both came through from the same qualifying section. Each had

nine points form five games but Rockmount had the better goal

difference so perhaps there is a pointer there. They have

already met twice this season and each time ended at 2 - 2.



The AUL Under 17 Section was established in 1989/90 and Mayfield

had their first taste of league cup success in 1990/91. Two

years later they recorded a double by winning the league cup and

the second division league.



That leaves manager Ted O'Mahony with quite a lot to live up to.

Ted, who has been looking after this group since their Under 13

days, enters the final with some confidence. This side won the

Under 15 First division in 1992/93 and, a year later, won the

Marina Cup and finished 3rd in the Under 16 premier league.



Stephen Hurley, the lad who devastated Leeds in the semi-final,

is perhaps their best known performer as he has played with the

Cork Under 14s in 1992/93, a season when he clocked up no less

than 41 goals.



Hurley though is more than just a goal scorer. Ted says he is a

also a great worker but "then this is a great team to train".

Winger Jamie O'Byrne skippers the side and has been with them

since his Under 11 days.



Stephen shares the leading scorer role with Kevin O'Mahony who

got two memorable goals in the semi-final. Twin brother Mark,

playing in goal for less than a year, has found his feet (or

should we say hands) quickly and gives the team a lot of

confidence. The O'Mahonys are sons of Ted.



Ted's squad members are: Mark O'Mahony, Declan Cronin, Michael

Spillane, Adrian Nodwell, Daniel Long, Brian Atkinson, Niall

Farry, Kevin O'Mahony, Conor Lehane, Paul Triggs, Stephen Hurley,

Jamie O'Byrne (captain), Kevin Murphy, Niall Twomey, Robert

O'Sullivan, Alex Walsh, and Colm Kelleher.



Mayfield United have always had a youth wing, long before they

established their current headquarters. But underage interest

has exploded in the area in recent seasons, particularly at Under

11.



Ernest O'Mahony, who still enjoys the odd game or two himself

with the "C" team, looks after an Under 11 team in the Schoolboys

League but was overwhelmed with 30 or 40 players turning up on

match days. Ernest's solution, a temporary one, was to pick his

first eleven and arrange a friendly between the remaining players

on an adjoining field.



The numbers continued to grow. Fortunately, Ernest received some

help from interested adults and the club has since started its

own league for the age group. The first games were held on their

new pitches but, because of the deterioration in the weather over

the past couple of months, the games are now played on the all

weather pitch at the local community school on Saturday mornings.