O Flynn - from the examiner today

O'Flynn marks debut with City in splendid style

By Simon Lewis
IF the example of Cork City new boy John O'Flynn is anything to go by, then the collapse of the ITV Digital deal with the Nationwide League is definitely going to benefit their Irish counterparts.
O’Flynn, 19, marked his Eircom League debut in emphatic style at the weekend when he spearheaded Cork City’s opening-day 3-0 victory over champions Shelbourne by creating the first goal and scoring the other two to the delight of a 5,000 crowd at Turners Cross. That Cobh-born O’Flynn was there at all is a question of economics. He was just one of the victims of the wave of cost-cutting currently sweeping through the English lower divisions following the decision last season by the ailing ITV Digital network to pull out of its £493m television rights contract still owing £279m. That left O’Flynn and six other Peterborough United youngsters being shown the door after three years under the tutelage of Barry Fry at the East Midlands club. “They just ran out of money,” O’Flynn explained. I had been given an extra year at the club, but when the TV contract ended, myself and six others were let go.

“I didn’t make a League appearance there, which was disappointing, and I had a couple of serious injuries which set me back, a growth problem in my second year there and then with my feet, which meant seeing a lot of specialists. Barry Fry was a good man and it was definite learning curve which has helped me enormously. It’s just that the money wasn’t there.

“There were a couple of League of Ireland clubs interested and I was offered some trials back in England but I decided to come home for eight weeks. I suppose I got used to being here and I decided I wanted to stay.”

Enter Cork City manager Liam Murphy, who had been aware of the local-born teenage striker learning his trade in England for a couple of seasons. Murphy asked O’Flynn to guest for him in a pre-season friendly against Munster Senior League side Passage West. Half a game was enough to convince the manager that he had a talented youngster within his grasp but, said Murphy explained O’Flynn was initially reluctant to sign, hoping there was still a chance back across the water.

The youngster eventually cracked and signed on for City last Monday and followed that up with a dream debut four days later. O’Flynn said: “I’ve only been training for a week but I’ve been impressed with the set-up.

What also caught the eye from this new-look City side, forced to open their campaign without six first-teamers, was the instant rapport struck up between O’Flynn and striking partner George O’Callaghan, another Cork-born returnee from the Nationwide League having spent the last four seasons with Port Vale. It was O’Flynn’s cross which set O’Callaghan up for an excellent first-time volley which was perfectly placed beyond Shels’ keeper Steve Williams and O’Flynn said: “He’s more of an attacking midfielder and he prefers to drop off while I prefer to be the last man forward. We worked well together.” City manager Murphy certainly agreed, adding: “They are two very talented players. Their goals were outstanding and they worked hard throughout. They have great potential.”