John O'Flynn in Irish squad
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John O'Flynn named in Irish Under-21 squad
Cork City striker John O'Flynn has been included by Don Givens in a squad of 21 players the Irish Under-21 manager has named for the European 2004 Championship qualifying games against Albania and Georgia next month.
Prolific goalscorer O'Flynn has been in brilliant scoring form for Cork City since the start of the new summer eircom League season and gets his call-up on the strength of his seven goals in five League matches, including a hat-trick against U.C.D. at Belfield.
"In view of the form John has been showing it was very difficult to leave him out of the squad," says Givens, who is looking at the possibility of including the player in his team for a friendly match which the Under-21s will play against Germany at Turner's Cross, Cork, on the June Bank Holiday Monday, June 2, as part of the preparation for the Euro qualifiers later that week.
Givens has also given first call-ups to Drogheda United's Steven Gray, Patrick Kohlmann (Borussia Dortmund) and goalkeeper Saul Deeny (Notts County). Deeny is included as regular squad member Joe Murphy (West Bromwich Albion) is almost certain to be required by manager Brian Kerr for the senior qualifiers.
Daniel Connor (Waterford,), who was on the bench for an away friendly against Austria last year, has also been included in the squad. Shelbourne's Wes Hoolahan is also in again.
Manager Givens is planning a lengthy training programme for the players. The first members of the squad are due to assemble in the Holiday Inn Hotel, Dublin Airport, on Tuesday next, May 13. That afternoon, Givens is hoping to have at least ten members of the squad travelling to Limerick for training until the following Monday, May 19, when they will be free to return home for a short break.
The squad will re-assemble in Dublin on Sunday, May 25 and on Tuesday, May 27, will travel to Arklow where they will be based until the following Sunday, June 1, when they will move to Cork in preparation for the friendly against Germany the following day, Monday, June 2, (kick-off 3.30 p.m.).
Following this game, the squad will return to Dublin to prepare for the qualifiers against Albania and Georgia. The game against the Albanians will be played at Flancare Park, Longford, on Friday, June 6, (kick-off 7.30 p.m.) and the match against Georgia will take place at Buckley Park, Kilkenny, on Tuesday, June 10, (kick-off 7.30 p.m.).
The full squad is:
Graham Stack (KSK Beveren, Belgium), Saul Deeny (Notts County), Daniel Connor (Waterford), Stephen Brennan (Newcastle United), Clifford Byrne (Sunderland), John Thompson (Notts Forest), Paul Tierney (Manchester United), Steven Gray (Drogheda United), Patrick Kohlmann (Borussia Dortmund), Thomas Butler (Sunderland), Liam Miller (Celtic), Sean Thornton (Sunderland), Wes Hoolahan (Shelbourne), Andy Reid (Notts Forest), Jonathon Daly (Stockport County), Noel Hunt (Dunfermline), Gary Dempsey (Dunfermline), Graham Barrett (Brighton), Kevin O'Connor (Brentford), Graham Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers), John O'Flynn (Cork City).
