Mahon set for Shelbourne post

UCD manager Pete Mahon looks set to be offered the chance to succeed Pat Fenlon at Shelbourne today after chairman Ollie Byrne sounded him out about taking the post yesterday.

Byrne was due to put Mahon's name to a meeting of the Shelbourne board last night. Despite the strength of the objections that are rumoured to have greeted his earlier suggestion that Roddy Collins be appointed it seems unlikely any major obstacles will arise around Tolka Park to proceeding with the job offer.

It remains to be seen, however, whether the UCD directors, with whom Mahon has a good relationship, will seek to persuade the former St Francis and Bohemians boss that he would be better off staying at Belfield Park where the team has performed solidly under his stewardship and a number of very promising youngsters have been brought through.

"At this stage there's nothing definite to say," remarked Mahon last night. "I spoke with Ollie today . . . about all of the issues involved. I told the directors here what had happened and the intention is to just talk to everyone again tomorrow when everything should be a bit clearer."

The prospect of taking over a side due to play in Champions League qualifiers would obviously be an attractive one for Mahon although the desirability of the Shelbourne post is very much dependent upon Byrne's ability to resolve the financial difficulties that have beset the club.

If Mahon does take the job he will have a major rebuilding programme to undertake with Jason Byrne the latest of last year's title-winning side to eye up a move away. The striker is reported to have travelled to Wales yesterday to train with Cardiff City.

In the event the Championship side signs Byrne, who has been the league's leading scorer here in each of the last four seasons, it would bring the number of high-profile departures since the end of the season almost to double figures.

Bohemians were last night considering an offer from English Championship side Wolves reported to be in the region of €175,000 for under-21 international Stephen Ward. Wolves have been monitoring the Dubliner for some time but their interest is said to have heightened after he apparently scored five goals in a game arranged so that club officials could watch him in action on Monday night.

Although Ward has yet to agree personal terms and would have to pass a medical, probably tomorrow, he is said to have been impressed with the set-up at Molineux and so it seems likely Bohemians will accept an offer that could, with add-ons, be worth up to €350,000 plus a percentage of any future sell-on fee.

Cork City manager Damien Richardson has expressed the hope "common sense will prevail," in relation to the proposed transfer of George O'Callaghan to Ipswich Town. Despite reports that a deal worth €100,000 was on the table, Richardson denied the Championship club had so far offered anything above €75,000, a sum the Irish club had rejected.

"George has been over there with them for more than three months now while we've paid his wages," said the manager. "I really don't think there's anything more that we could have done in the circumstances to facilitate everyone and now they want to sign George which is fine but they have to be reasonable about it too."