Mulhern Cup Final 1985 between Shels and Town Res was one for the memory bank.

LOCAL football followers have witnessed many truly memorable games and occasions over the years.

Many of them involved Shelbourne and their numerous achievements at junior and intermediate level and Omagh Town, who in 1991 most notably won the Budwesier Cup.

But perhaps the most talked about game in local football ever involved both the Shels and Omagh Town Reserves when the sides locked horns in the 1985 Mulhern Cup Final in front of a bumper crowd at old Omagh showgrounds, now the site the Showgrounds Retail Park which houses the like of M &S, Sports Direct, Argos and River Island.

To this very day that classic encounter is still talked about and it took a replay to decide the outcome. The first instalment finished 2-2 thanks a late equaliser by Omagh Town’s Paul McAnea and some superb goalkeeping by Shels keeper Paul McGread but in the second Shelbourne triumphed 5-1 after their opponents had Liam Donnelly sent off in the first half.

The Shels goalscorers in the replay were the late Gerald Jamison, the late Alan Brunt, Trevor Donnelly and Mickey O’Sullivan who netted twice early in the second half.

O’Sullivan agreed it was an occasion that has lived long in the memory and said that it had again come up in a recent conversation with Terry Bonner, who played for Town Reserves back then, no more than a few weeks back.

“The first time the teams met it drew a massive crowd and we thought the second could be something of an anti-climax and couldn’t possibly draw the same crowd,” said O’Sullivan..

“But we were wrong, there was just as a big crowd for the replay which thankfully we won well.

“The first game was a very tight affair, it could have gone either way but McAnea, the wee so and so, equalised. Ironically the both of us became very good friends.

“A lot of the players involved in that final went on to play for both clubs and in the long run that might not have helped either club.

“It was a golden era for football and that final underlined the quality of players that was about at that time. Without doubt it’s been the most talked about game in local football.

“The thing about it was that we were all friends but that week between the two games we were all enemies!

“There wasn’t much chatting between the players and to be truthful we have been arguing about it ever since. About six weeks ago me and Bonner (Terry) had an argument about it.

“Somebody mentioned football and of course I said ‘remember the oul Mulhern Cup final’ but he didn’t want to talk about it!

“I remember it was nerve-wracking at the time. It was one of the biggest games any of us had played, it was the whole talk around the town. There was a bumper crowd and in those days everyone wanted to play in the Showgrounds.”

In the first game a goal by Paul Johnston put Omagh Town Reserves ahead after just seven minutes and it remained 1-0 at the interval despite Martin Woodhead hitting the crossbar and Dominic Baxter and Trevor Donnelly going close for the Shels.

A Mickey O’Sullivan penalty drew the sides level on the resumption of the second period and the Shels then forged ahead when substitute Alan Hannigan galloped through the Town defence to hammer home.

Moments earlier McGread had saved a McAnea penalty but the diminutive striker had the final say when he turned sharply to score with a well struck shot just nine minutes from time. Both teams had given their all and couldn’t be separated in extra-time.

In the replay things ultimately went Shelbourne’s way, despite the fact that Omagh Town took the lead when a young Terry Fox played Mark Donnelly through to lift the ball over the advancing McGread.

Liam Donnelly’s sending off for two hefty tackles in quick succession helped the Shels turn the tide. A searching diagonal ball by Woodhead picked out Gerald ‘Snibber’ Jamison who stepped inside his marker to fire a dipping 25 yard shot beyond the reach of Brendan Johns.

From that point on Shelbourne had the wind in their sails. Mickey O’Sullivan glanced home a Woodhead cross for 2-1 and O’Sullivan struck again, swooping on the loose ball after Johns found Jamison’s rasping shot too hot to handle.

Brunt blasted home the fourth and Woodhead provided another assist for Trevor Donnelly in what was to be the final act of an epic encounter.