O’Dea Seeks Security With Celtic

Irish Voice Sport

O’Dea Seeks Security With Celtic

January 24, 2008

By Cathal Dervan

O’Dea told the club’s official website, “Of course it’s frustrating being on the bench because every player wants to be playing every week. But that’s not possible, so it’s just a matter of being patient, working hard and hopefully my time will come.

“I spoke to the manager a week ago about my situation and it wasn’t a case of wanting to leave. I just wanted to know where I am. What the manager said settled my mind about where I’m going to be. This is where I want to play and I will give it my best shot. Right now, I’m happy to stay and fight for my place.

“It’s never going to be easy to break in at Celtic. There are always going to be high-quality players, so it’s up to me to prove myself and get in to the side.”

Celtic kept up the pressure on Scottish League leaders Rangers with a 1-0 win over Kilmarnock at Parkhead on Saturday thanks to an own goal from Martyn Corrigan but manager Strachan felt the scoreline didn’t reflect the match.

Strachan said, “I thought we played really well and to make that number of chances was more than I could expect — and our ‘keeper Artur Boruc could have been sitting with me. Kilmarnock usually have one or two chances because they have some good players but they were nullified and it was possibly the most chances we have had this season.

“We have played many times here and gone two or three up and not been as good as that. I really liked what I saw.”

Former Celtic star Dion Dublin, now at Norwich, has confirmed he will retire at the end of the season

Kilkenny City Quits

EIRCOM League First Division club Kilkenny City have finally bowed to financial pressure and quit senior football, with new Dublin side Sporting Fingal to replace them. The team’s 23 year run in the national league came to an end on Friday.

A statement from Kilkenny City read, “Following much discussion and soul searching it is the opinion of those closest to Kilkenny City Football Club that the club should resign its membership of the eircom League of Ireland due to lack of finance and inadequate support.

“We have battled hard over the years to win the hearts and minds of the local people but sadly, due to lack of finance, poor results and paltry attendances, we have to admit that there is not an appetite for senior soccer at this moment in our city and county.

“We believe that we are taking the correct decision in the best interests of Kilkenny City FC and the game of soccer. We thank those who have supported us since our election to the League of Ireland in 1985 and if circumstances change we will consider reapplying for membership of the League in the future.”

Limerick’s Savior

SENIOR soccer in Limerick has been saved after the New Jersey based Irish-American lawyer and businessman Jack McCarthy confirmed on Monday that he has agreed in principle to take over eircom League of Ireland First Division club Limerick 37.

“I have reached an agreement in principle with Limerick 37 and, after due diligence and the construction of a debt management program, I am confident that it will go through,” said McCarthy.

“I will be over quite regularly. Our first job is to bring stability to the club and then grow it slowly. We will be concentrating on building relationships with everybody in Limerick both in the football and business community.

“I am very excited by what is happening in Irish soccer at the moment and impressed by the way the FAI is trying to strategically develop the League of Ireland.”

Soccer Shorts

ROBBIE Keane hit the one hundredth goal of his Tottenham career in Saturday’s 2-0 home win against Sunderland but refused to gloat about his achievement. The Ireland captain said, “When you see the names of the people who’ve done it before you, you feel honored. I’m delighted, but the main thing was to get the three points on the day.” . . .

EVERTON midfielder Lee Carsley is looking to sign a new three-year deal with the high flying Premier League side. “I am 34 next month so I think I have six months left in my legs anyway,” claimed Carsley . . .

NEW Cork boss Alan Matthews has confirmed he is in talks to bring George O’Callaghan and Dave Mooney to the club. City have also announced that youth players David Meyler and Craig Duggan have both signed two-year professional contracts . . .

MANCHESTER City have insisted that captain Richard Dunne is to stay at the club in the wake of rumors that talks on a new contract have hit trouble. Celtic and Newcastle United are monitoring Dunne’s situation . . .

HOLDERS Drogheda United will play Cliftonville, Cork City and Dungannon in the group stages of the Setanta Cup, with St. Patrick’s Athletic up against Derry, Linfield and Glentoran . . .

IPSWICH Town have signed Irish midfielder Alan Quinn and are also interested in Coventry striker Leon Best who is already the subject of a bid from Nottingham Forest.

Fagan for Beijing

MULLINGAR’S Martin Fagan has qualified for the Olympic Games in Beijing after a 13th place finish at the Dubai Marathon in a time of 2.14.06, well inside the qualifying standard of 2.15.00.

Fagan, who had problems with a hip injury during the race, told the Irish Independent, “I was in agony for over ten kilometers and I had to stop and stretch a number of times so that I could get just a little bit of relief from the pain.

“I had been having a few problems in recent times with my back and hip, but I never experienced anything like the pain I had at that critical point of the race. However, I fought on and it was a huge relief to finish inside the Olympic qualifying standard. That was my target and I was determined to make it.”

Doherty Loses

KEN Doherty was happy with his return to form despite losing 6-5 to eventual winner Mark Selby in the semifinals of the U.K. Masters at Wembley last weekend.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow, I had my chance in the last frame and I didn’t take it,” said Doherty.

“It’s 50-50 when it goes to the last frame, but I had a great chance to win it. I’m gutted, but I was unlucky in the last frame. If I made the plant in the last frame then I’d win the match. It was a tough match, but it just didn’t happen for me. It’s disappointing, but I can take some positives away because I’ve played the best I have for years this week.”

Be Brave

IRISH rugby legend Keith Wood has urged Eddie O’Sullivan to be brave and bold or pay the price with his job in the forthcoming Six Nations after the World Cup disaster last September.

Ireland kick off the new season against Italy on Saturday, February 2, and Wood warned, “Eddie needs to make changes and drip feed new guys in. I don’t think there will be drastic changes. Eddie needs to win matches to stop speculation over his future, so I expect him to stick with what he knows.

“But he also needs to give fringe players more game time and take a gamble when he chooses his team. One gamble in a team is acceptable, not four or five. Then he has to stick with that player. He must avoid doing what England did with Mathew Tait after the 2003 World Cup, picking him and then dropping him. That was very unfair.

“He was an obvious talent and having picked him, maybe a little too early in my eyes, they had to stick with him.

“These guys from the World Cup deserve a chance to prove themselves. The entire team played badly in the World Cup and that suggests it wasn’t only them to blame.”

O’Sullivan’s future is at stake in this championship and Wood added, “Undoubtedly Eddie made mistakes at the World Cup. Some of the selections he made for the squad didn’t give him the flexibility he needed during the tournament.

“We didn’t perform at the World Cup and if that continues, then we have to make the change with the coach. The IRFU did the right thing after the World Cup. They looked at Ireland’s performance and asked if the coach could rectify it and decided he could. But if it turns out he can’t then justifiably he’ll be under pressure.”

Foley to Retire

MUNSTER’S Heineken Cup winning captain Anthony Foley has announced his retirement from the game at the end of the coming season, just days after starring in the province’s sensational win over Wasps as they booked a 10th successive quarterfinal place.

The province’s most capped player lifted the European Cup two years ago after inspiring his team to victory over Biarritz in the final and made a record 85th Heineken Cup appearance in Saturday’s Pool Five victory against London Wasps.

The former Ireland star, capped 62 times by his country, has scored 23 Heineken Cup tries as Munster’s leading try scorer in the competition and his overall total of 44 sees him lead the try scoring list for the province.

“It goes without saying that I have enjoyed my time immensely with Munster. I’ve had a great career and I would like to say thanks to all those, starting in St. Munchin’s, then in my club Shannon and Munster for helping me in my career,” said Foley, 34.

“I don’t want to mention names in case I leave people out, but my sincere thanks to those who have helped me along the way. I’m not sure there is a good time to go, it certainly isn’t easy to leave it behind but I think the end of this season is the right time to hang up the boots.”

Rugby Shorts

MUNSTER could be forced to play at Dublin’s RDS if they land a home draw in the semifinals of the Heineken Cup as Thomond Park and Lansdowne Road are both under re-construction and Croke Park is not available in April . . .

YOUNG Leinster out-half Jonathon Sexton is out of Ireland’s training squad for the Six Nations after fracturing his thumb in Saturday’s hugely disappointing Heineken Cup defeat to Leicester . . .

IRELAND scrum-half Eoin Reddan is in talks with Leinster about a move to the RDS when his Wasps contract expires at the end of the season.

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