Defender Cormac Maher became the youth team’s youngest-ever goalscorer as the 14-year-old grabbed the fourth for Mansfield against Huddersfield last Saturday.
The youngster climbed off the bench to nod home a record-breaking header and complete Stags’ victory following a brace from striker Jack Deakin and a goal from Diego Edwards.
This latest triumph sees Mansfield record a third successive league victory and their fourth in the last five Youth Alliance League matches.
It didn’t take long for the young Stags to assert their dominance on proceedings when a wide free-kick from Finn Flanagan caused a scramble in the Huddersfield penalty area with 12 minutes played.
As the ball found Deakin, he produced a solo effort of maturity beyond his years, dribbling through the Terriers’ defence and firing a near post effort into the back of the net.
The away side were quick to respond, however, equalising just ten minutes later.
Neat build up play down the left side of the Stags’ defence resulted in a near post shot finding the Mansfield net, an effort ‘keeper Louie Turner was unlucky with.
After the interval, Turner was on hand to keep the Stags level when he pushed to safety a crashing effort from the visitors.
Following some pressure from the away side, the amber and blue regained the lead on 56 minutes.
A high-press from the young guns resulted in a Huddersfield mistake. Deakin picked up the pieces and earned his and Mansfield’s second goal of the game after finishing expertly into the bottom right corner.
A third Stags’ goal soon followed.
Substitutes Ronnie Kokkinos and Diego Edwards combined as the former received the ball from a Bailey Hamilton cross and squared the ball for Edwards to finish into the bottom left corner of the net.
In the dying embers of the match, a moment of Mansfield history unravelled.
Fourteen-year-old Cormac Maher became the youth team’s youngest ever goalscorer after connecting emphatically with a Hamilton corner.
The teen rose above the Terriers’ defence to head home the Stags’ fourth goal of the game and seal the victory at RH Academy.
The Stags’ next fixture is away to Boston United on Thursday 04 November in the FA Youth Cup.
STAGS' XI: Turner, Whyle, Whelan (Maher, 75), Hill-Smith, Wauchope, Flanagan, Hurdis, Hamilton, Davies (Edwards, 45), Deakin (Wilson, 62) Abdullah (Kokkinos, 53)
UNUSED SUB: Avery
