Cork AUL's Billy Lyons



Young Ben Lucey enjoys the occasion as his dad Colm of Flannerys makes a presentation to Wilton captain Tom Murphy. Also in picture: Wilton coach Patrick Rocks (left) and team manager John Leonard (right).


WILTON UNITED FOCUS


John Leonard is in his second year managing the Wilton Utd team while Patrick Rocks has taken over the coaching duties this season. They train twice a week on the astro turf in Mount Mercy which is a wonderful facility and very much appreciated by the players.

Patrick explains why the pre-season season training started in early July: "This was to try and up the fitness of the team but also to try and bed in some of the new players. Among the
new signings were Keith Cummins, Kevin Walsh, David Lordan but
also Brian Leonard, Kieran Buttimer and Stephen Duffy coming
up from the second team."

"The core of the team has not changed much. Players such as Ian and Mark Dooley, John and Paul O'Mahony, Phil Haly, Brian Kelly, Mark Ryan and Billy Shannon, to name a few, have grown up together, learned their football together."

The league form has been surprisingly indifferent but it is a different story in the knockout competitions where Wilton have made progress in both the Linnane and the FAI . Rocks again:
"Our league form has been patchy to say the least. Two wins and two defeats is not the ideal start we would have wanted but we are in the final of the Linnane Cup and fourth
round of the FAI junior cup. Our aim at the start of the year
to was to win the league and get up to the premier league."

There are quite a few teams in the booming Wilton club and fund-raising never stops. The first team were recently boosted by the presentation of two new sets of gear from their number one supporter Flannerys Bar on the Glasheen Road.