Leigh Desmond: From GAA to MMA
Posted by Paul Dollery in Blog on Aug 25th, 2011 | 0 comments
By PAUL DOLLERY
LEIGH DESMOND admits he’s unlikely to play senior hurling for Cork again but the Youghal man has no regrets about his decision to swap GAA for MMA.
The 23-year-old, who made four league appearances for the Rebels in 2008, had been on the fringes of the panel for the past few seasons and was rated as one of the top young prospects in the county. However, having recently taken up mixed martial arts, his priorities have changed.
“I had done a fair bit of Taekwan Do for three or four years up until I was around 13 but that stopped completely when I got into hurling,” explains Desmond. “My brother-in-law does a lot of Thai boxing and during the hurling off-season last year I took it up purely just to stay fit. It took off from there, I got a bit of a rush out of it and never looked back.
“I was always a big MMA fan and I loved the UFC but if you had said to me a couple of years ago that I’d be locking myself into a cage to fight a fella I’d have told you you’re bananas. But it’s been great and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”
Desmond acknowledges that the chances of him wearing the Cork shirt again in the future are slim. However, in spite of his MMA commitments, he doesn’t intend to walk away from his club, Youghal, for the time being at least.
“I was on the edge of the Cork squad for a while and I was frustrated by not making the breakthrough so I suppose you could say that MMA came at me at the right time. I got a call from the Cork management last December about a pre-season camp but I told them I couldn’t get involved because I had already committed to a fight in February.
“Playing for your county is obviously the goal for every hurler so I think they were surprised by the decision, especially because I don’t think many fellas have ever turned down the chance to be involved with Cork in favour of something like MMA. But it was a decision I made for myself and nobody else.
“At the moment I’m still hurling but only with my club. Hurling has been a massive part of my life so it’s hard to put it to one side, especially as the lads I’m playing with for Youghal are the lads I grew up with, so I have to keep pushing on with them.
“I’d never close the door on anything but I’d say any ambitions I have of getting back involved with Cork are dependent on how far I can go in MMA. I’m still going to hurl away with Youghal but if it came to a stage where I started making a few bob from MMA then I’d imagine it might be a different story.
“If guys are paying you to help them put on a show, you’d have to give it serious consideration. It might never get to that stage but I guess that’s where I’d like to get to. To be fighting at the top would be great and that would be the ideal situation. But, as I said, that’s a fair bit away right now,” added Desmond, who hit 0-5 from play in Youghal’s 0-19 to 3-6 Evening Echo PIHC quarter-final win over Valley Rovers on Sunday.
With just one amateur fight under his belt so far, Desmond is certainly in the early stages of his MMA development. However, what the middleweight fighter lacks in experience he makes up for in his enthusiasm and desire to learn.
He had a successful debut against Dublin’s Stephen Doyle in February, winning courtesy of a 3rd round TKO. A broken metatarsal prevented Desmond from fighting at Cage Warriors 42 at Neptune Stadium in May but he returns to action on Saturday to take on Konrad Iwanowski at MMA Clinic Amateur Fight Night 1 at the Rochestown Park Hotel.
“I’m under no illusions,” Desmond admits. “I’m still a rookie and I have a hell of a lot to learn. But I felt that I learnt a lot even from my last fight. Like anything, you learn from your mistakes. I’m picking up an awful lot from the people I’ve been training with as well. You’re constantly learning in this sport.
“I don’t know a whole lot about my opponent on Saturday. I believe he’s had three fights and that he’s a fairly heavy striker but that’s about it. I won’t underestimate anybody but I won’t fear anyone either. I’ve done an eight-week training camp and I’ve pushed myself really hard so I feel like I’m ready.”
Desmond’s MMA career is still in its infancy and he accepts that there’s a long road ahead with plenty of lessons to learn along the way. But the former CIT student is ready for the journey and is eager to ensure it takes him far.
“It went from me taking hurling really seriously to a stage now where hurling is playing second fiddle to this. I love the fact that win, lose or draw in MMA, it’s all down to you. You can’t rely on anybody else and you get out of it what you put into it. There’s nobody else to blame.
“I don’t like getting involved in something unless I can strive to become as good as I possibly can at it. I’d like to have a go at making something of myself in this sport. If I didn’t think that was going to work out, I don’t know if I’d stay at it.
“Hopefully I can string a few wins together and grab the right guys’ attention. That’d be the ambition but it’s early days yet so that’s a long way off at the moment. I’ll just keep training hard, try and win my fights and you’d never know what will come after that.”
This article appeared in the Evening Echo on Thursday, August 25th, 2011.
Meyler eager to make up for lost time
Posted by Paul Dollery in Blog on Aug 12th, 2011 | 0 comments
Sunderland midfielder David Meyler is close to a return to first-team action after a long injury lay-off (Pic: www.ChronicleLive.co.uk)
SUNDERLAND midfielder David Meyler admits that a long-awaited return to first-team action is on the horizon but the 22-year-old has played down his chances of making Saturday’s Premier League opener against Liverpool.
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Having recently returned to full training, reports on Wearside earlier this week suggested that Meyler was in contention for a place in Steve Bruce’s squad for the trip to Anfield, following a positive response to an intensive summer of treatment on a knee injury.
“I’m feeling good,” says the midfielder, who hails from Rochestown. “It’s nice to be back in training and putting everything behind me after a difficult 15 months or so. I’m just looking forward to getting back playing again. I’m doing everything the other lads are in training and I feel good and sharp. I now need to top up with more training and push on from there.”
Meyler has had his fair share of misfortune when it comes to injuries and is hoping that those issues are now in the past. He suffered a torn cruciate knee ligament in a game against Manchester United in May 2010 and subsequently endured a frustrating six months on the sidelines.
Five games into his come-back from that injury, Meyler was forced out of Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa back in January after picking up another nasty injury to the same knee, this time suffering medial ligament damage. The ex-Irish U21 international spent much of this summer in the USA receiving treatment from renowned Vermont specialist Bill Knowles, who has previously worked with the likes of Tiger Woods, Frank Lampard and NFL star Peyton Manning.
“He was terrific,” Meyler explains. “The physios here at Sunderland have been excellent as well and have really helped me along. I was mainly focusing on the strength of my knee in Vermont. I’ve carried on with the exercises I was taught over there and over time everything has felt much easier. It’s never easy when you’re injured and injuring my knee twice was a huge setback. But I’ve had great support from my family, my friends and the club. I knew I would be back playing soon enough.”
His imminent return will give a boost to Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, who has often spoken highly of the former Cork City player and rewarded him with a new five-year contract just over 12 months ago. Meyler adds: “The manager has been fantastic with me ever since he gave me my debut. I want to repay him for giving me a new contract by putting my injuries behind me and helping the club to finish as high as possible.”
While the former Blackrock hurler is eager to get back on the pitch, he’s adamant that he’ll remain patient and won’t rush his return. “At the moment I’m just finding my feet and easing myself back into it. I haven’t played for more than six months. I need a couple more weeks of training and then I can look to get some games in and get back in the team.
“We’ve brought in some fantastic players and that’s a sign of where the manager wants the club to go and where the club is at the moment. Everyone here is focused on getting as high up the table as we can.”
This article appeared in the Evening Echo on Thursday, August 11th, 2011.
Round-Up 1: Rebels in exile
Posted by Paul Dollery in Blog on Aug 7th, 2011 | 0 commentsThe 2011-12 season kicked off in England this weekend after the summer hiatus, with Hull City and Blackpool getting the action underway on Friday evening at the KC Stadium in the Championship’s season opener.
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Kilcully man Billy Clarke provided the Cork involvement in this one, finally returning to Blackpool’s match-day squad after a frustrating injury lay-off. Clarke’s last appearance for the Seasiders came way back in April 2010. The 23-year-old missed out on his side’s Premier League journey last season after tearing his cruciate knee ligament just over twelve months ago.
With Ian Holloway’s side eager to make a positive start following their relegation from the top flight in May, Clarke was named on the bench as Holloway opted for a three-pronged attack consisting of Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Kevin Phillips and Brett Ormerod. Neither side had broken the deadlock when Clarke was introduced in place of Ormerod in the 67th minute but the ex-Irish U21 international would soon play a pivotal role in the game’s only goal.
The former Ipswich striker provided a clever assist for Taylor-Fletcher’s 81st minute winner, helping Blackpool to a 1-0 away win that gave them an ideal start to their bid to return to the Premier League.
Another Championship player who spent much of last season lying idle is Roy O’Donovan. The 25-year-old striker was starved of opportunities at the Ricoh Arena, making just two substitute league appearances. Sky Blues manager Andy Thorn is working with a very limited budget this season and has been unable to bring in a replacement for Marlon King, who has departed for Birmingham City.
As a result, O’Donovan could be in line to benefit. The Dublin Hill native, who joined Sunderland from Cork City in 2007, came off the bench to replace Gary McSheffrey with ten minutes remaining in yesterday’s 1-0 home defeat to promotion favourites Leicester City and picked up a yellow card following a challenge on Foxes goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Coventry striker Roy O'Donovan takes on Leicester defender Matt Mills during yesterday's game at the Ricoh Arena (www.ccfc.co.uk)
In spite of the defeat, O’Donovan believes Coventry can take plenty of encouragement from their performance. He said: “Leicester are supposedly the best team in the league according to the analysts, so for us to go out there and put up a performance like that is something to take heart from.
“I thought we really pushed them and were really unlucky not to get something out of the game. But we have to put this behind us now and keep doing what we’ve been doing because if we do that, like we did today, I think we can do quite well this year.”
Elsewhere in the Championship yesterday, Ipswich Town made a dream start as they recorded an impressive 3-0 win away to Bristol City. Damien Delaney started at the heart of the Ipswich defence but the 30-year-old Douglas man appeared to pick up a knock and subsequently made way for Tommy Smyth in the 64th minute. According to today’s Sunday Mirror, Bristol City “struggled against the strength down the spine of Ipswich’s team, where Republic of Ireland defender Damien Delaney won everything in the air.”
Colin Healy was an unused substitute for Ipswich, while Shane O’Connor failed to make the match-day squad. Tractor Boys manager Paul Jewell has confirmed that O’Connor is still likely to leave the club, despite rejecting a six-month loan move to League Two outfit Crawley Town last week.
In spite of Ben Foster’s departure for West Bromwich Albion, Colin Doyle again had to settle for a place on the bench yesterday as Birmingham City marked their return to the Championship with a defeat away to Derby County. Chris Hughton’s side started with new signing Boaz Myhill in goal for their 2-1 loss at Pride Park.
Leon McSweeney making his first competitive appearance for Leyton Orient during yesterday's defeat to Walsall (www.leytonorient.com)
Having been promoted from League Two last season – their second successive promotion – Stevenage began life in the third tier of English football with a 0-0 draw at home to Exeter City. Carriganavar man Darren Murphy failed to make Stevenage’s match-day squad, while Cobh’s John O’Flynn wasn’t involved for Exeter. The 29-year-old striker is still four weeks away from a return to action following surgery on a knee injury in May.
Meanwhile, Brian Barry-Murphy was left out of Rochdale’s squad for their 2-0 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday and Stephen O’Halloran was an unused substitute for his new club Carlisle United as they suffered a 3-0 loss at home to Notts County.
In League Two, Alan Bennett made his first competitive appearance for Cheltenham Town since his from Wycombe Wanderers over the summer. The former Cork City defender wore the captain’s armband but his side were beaten 1-0 away to Gillingham. Kevin Long, who returned to Accrington Stanley this week for a second loan spell from Burnley, started at centre-half for Accrington in their scoreless draw away to Northampton Town.
Bandon midfielder Conor Hourihane made his debut for Plymouth Argyle as Peter Reid’s side began their League Two campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Shrewsbury Town. The 20-year-old played all ninety minutes for the Pilgrims. “I thought Conor (Hourihane) played really well,” said Reid. “I’m not sure about his shooting, although he had a couple of chances in the first-half where they got great blocks in.”
Conor Hourihane in action on his debut for Plymouth Arglye against Shrewsbury Town yesterday (www.pafc.co.uk)
Elsewhere, according to a report in yesterday’s Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Sunderland midfielder David Meyler is closing in on a return to action, having made just five appearances in the last year due to a series of knee injuries.
Paul Dollery
Big season ahead for Cork lads across the water
Posted by Paul Dollery in Blog on Aug 6th, 2011 | 0 commentsTHE new season kicks off in England this weekend, with plenty of Cork involvement across all four divisions. Paul Dollery reports on the current status of the Leeside lads across the Irish Sea…
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DAVID MEYLER (Sunderland – Premier League)
The 22-year-old from Rochestown spent much of the summer in the USA receiving treatment on his injured knee. Meyler’s career has been held back by the injury in recent times, which has restricted him to just five appearances in the last year. The midfielder is highly rated by manager Steve Bruce and is expected to return to action within a matter of weeks.
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STEPHEN IRELAND (Aston Villa – Premier League)
Another player whose career has stalled due to injury, Ireland is back at Villa Park after a brief loan spell at Newcastle United last season. According to new Villa boss Alex McLeish, the 24-year-old Cobh man “has excelled in training” recently. McLeish, as well as Aston Villa’s supporters, expect a lot from the enigmatic midfielder in 2011-12.
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DAMIEN DELANEY (Ipswich Town – Championship)
Delaney, who turned 30 last month, has flourished since Paul Jewell took over at Portman Road in January, making 24 consecutive starts at the heart of the Ipswich defence. The Douglas man’s form earned him a recall to the Republic of Ireland squad and a new three-year contract with the Tractor Boys. Expect the former Cork minor footballer to be a key figure for his club this season.
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COLIN HEALY (Ipswich Town – Championship)
The Ballincollig man signed a one-year contract extension in the summer which will keep him at Portman Road for the forthcoming season. The 31-year-old midfielder, who joined Ipswich from Cork City two years ago, made 22 appearances for the club in all competitions during the 2010-11 campaign but will now face increased competition following the arrival of Lee Bowyer from Birmingham City.
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SHANE O’CONNOR (Ipswich Town – Championship)
O’Connor, who can play at left-back and left-midfield, doesn’t appear to have a future at Portman Road, with Paul Jewell keen to offload the 21-year-old former Wilton United player. O’Connor international recently had a trial with newly-promoted League Two club Crawley Town but his situation remains unresolved. Roy Keane brought the Irish U21 international to Ipswich in 2009 after he was released by Liverpool. He has since made 22 first-team appearances and is contracted to the club until next summer.
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BILLY CLARKE (Blackpool – Championship)
Clarke missed out on Blackpool’s Premier League journey last season after tearing his cruciate knee ligament twelve months ago. The striker from Kilcully is now keen to play his part in bringing the Seasiders back into the top flight and has been amongst the goals in pre-season. Clarke, 23, will be hoping to fill the void left by QPR-bound DJ Campbell.
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COLIN DOYLE (Birmingham City – Championship)
Ben Foster’s season-long loan move to West Bromwich Albion has significantly boosted Doyle’s chances of finally regaining his status as Birmingham’s first-choice goalkeeper, as they aim to bounce back from last season’s relegation from the Premier League. The 26-year-old from Douglas has played second fiddle at St Andrew’s for the last three seasons, making just six league appearances. New manager Chris Hughton has brought in Boaz Myhill to replace Foster but Doyle will fancy his chances against the Welsh international.
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ROY O’DONOVAN (Coventry City – Championship)
If things don’t work out for Roy O’Donovan at Coventry City this season, it certainly won’t be for lack of effort.
The 25-year-old is preparing for his second season at the Ricoh Arena, knowing that it’s unlikely to be any worse than his first. He signed a three-year contract with the Sky Blues last summer and was promised regular first-team football by then manager Aidy Boothroyd. The Dublin Hill native ultimately had to settle for just two substitute league appearances throughout the entire campaign, which he describes as “frustrating beyond belief.” O’Donovan was named on the bench for 31 of Coventry’s 46 games in the Championship but saw just over ten minutes of action. “It all sounds rosy in the garden when you’re being paid to play football professionally but it’s not so nice when you spend the year sitting on the bench,” he told the Evening Echo back in May.
It was undoubtedly a season to forget for the former Cork City star but he has left no stone unturned in his bid to show new manager Andy Thorn that he already possesses a ready-made replacement for departed striker Marlon King. O’Donovan spent a week in the Algarve – followed by a month back home in Cork – over the summer but made sure to keep himself fit and ready, both physically and mentally, for a crucial season ahead. He was Coventry’s top scorer during their pre-season programme of fixtures, netting three goals in five games, two of which he started.
“Pre-season went well for me,” says O’Donovan, who left Cork City in 2007 to join Sunderland. “I came back in good shape and played in all of the friendlies we had. I was happy to get a few goals and gradually built my fitness up. Given how things went last season, it definitely motivated me to look after myself and work a bit harder over the summer, in terms of both football and fitness. I’ve put in a lot of work so I’m in good shape and I feel like I’m on my game. It’s paid dividends so far and the proof is in the pudding. I’ve done my bit so from now on it’s all about forcing my way into the team here and having a good season.”
It’s a season that begins for Coventry tomorrow at home to a Leicester City side who have been installed as favourites to win the title. O’Donovan: “My whole goal has been to start against Leicester. I need to play regularly this season, there’s no alternative for me. Last season was a bit of a write-off. I think I’ve done enough to earn a starting place on Saturday so I’m hoping that’ll be the case.
“Leicester will be majorly pushing for promotion, having done quite well last season. They’ve spent a lot of money on proven Championship players so I’d expect them to be up there in the hunt. Birmingham would have similar ambitions and we play them next week so it’s a baptism of fire for us. But that’s the best way to have it as you’d rather start with the tougher games.”
While O’Donovan isn’t dwelling on the nightmare he endured last season, the former Irish U21 international is keen to use it as added motivation to succeed over the next ten months.
“It was a waiting game last season, sitting on the bench, hoping and praying for an opportunity that never came. I’ve never had a season like that so it was very frustrating. Because of that, I’ve had a massive hunger over the summer to come back and prove people wrong. My outlook is positive at the moment and the way I’m looking at it is that Saturday’s game against Leicester is the first of 46 that I want to be involved in.
“I think one of my main strengths is my willingness to persevere, that desire to work hard when you need to most. I’ve always believed that you’ll get your rewards if you work hard enough. I’ve put in the work, which will hopefully result in me reaping those rewards over the course of the season.”
O’Donovan hasn’t sought assurances from his manager regarding game-time and insists he’ll be forced to look elsewhere if the opportunities don’t arise. Nevertheless, he’s not even considering that outcome for now.
“I haven’t spoken to the manager at all. I just want to try and do my talking on the pitch instead. I’m sure the people at the club are well aware that players can’t afford to sit around for too long without playing. If you’re putting in the work but not getting the breaks you’ll have to move on. That’s the reality of it. But at this moment in time my only target is to do well for Coventry City. I’m hoping it’ll be a good season for me, I think it will be, and I’m not looking beyond that.”
O’Donovan, who has also had loan spells at Dundee United, Blackpool, Southend and Hartlepool over the last three years, adds: “I’m in a good place, in terms of the confidence I have in my ability as a player. I know I’ve got plenty to offer but I really need to play football now on a regular basis. That’s what I came to this country for.”
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KEVIN LONG (Burnley – Championship*)
Long turns 21 later this month and, having featured prominently for the Clarets in pre-season, will be hoping to make his first-team debut for the club soon. The central defender from Ballyphehane spent last season on loan at League Two outfit Accrington Stanley but was sidelined for much of the campaign after breaking a bone in his foot. Long joined Burnley from Cork City in January of last year for a six-figure sum, putting pen to paper on a three-and-a-half year deal. *Long returned to Accrington last night on a loan deal until January
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DARREN MURPHY (Stevenage – League One)
Playing in the third tier of English football, this season will be an historic one for Stevenage as the Hertfordshire club have never before reached such dizzy heights. A broken leg kept Murphy out of action for the majority of last season but the 26-year-old midfielder came off the bench to play his part in their League Two play-off final victory over Torquay United at Old Trafford in May. If the Carrignavar native can avoid injury this season, “he’ll be like a new signing,” according to Stevenage boss Graham Westley.
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JOHN O’FLYNN (Exeter City – League One)
The 29-year-old striker scored six goals during his first season with the Grecians but will be aiming for a significant increase on that tally in 2011-12. The ex-Cork City star was hampered by injury at times, making just 22 league starts during a campaign which saw Exeter finish one point outside the play-off places. A regular run of games should allow the Cobh man to rediscover the kind of form that saw him hit 33 goals during his two seasons with Barnet, but he’s already been ruled out for the first 4-6 weeks of the season as he continues his rehabilitation from knee surgery.
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BRIAN BARRY-MURPHY (Rochdale – League One)
Barry-Murphy’s first season at Spotland, having joined Rochdale from Bury last summer, saw him make 32 league appearances but the Lancashire outfit narrowly missed out on a play-off spot. The 33-year-old, the most experienced of the Corkonians plying their trade in England, will expect to feature regularly in Rochdale’s midfield again this season, which will be his 13th in English football since his move to Preston from Cork City in 1999.
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STEPHEN O’HALLORAN (Carlisle United – League One)
O’Halloran is another player who’ll be hoping for an injury-free season. The 23-year-old full-back signed for Carlisle last month after being released by Coventry City at the end of last season. O’Halloran’s career with Aston Villa was blighted by two cruciate knee ligament injuries. He joined Coventry twelve months ago but missed much of last season due to a back problem. The Cobh man, capped twice by the Republic of Ireland in 2007, should be a good addition for Carlisle. O’Halloran: “I want to start playing regularly because that hasn’t happened for me at all in the last few years.”
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LEON McSWEENEY (Leyton Orient – League One)
Along with Joe Gamble and Denis Behan, McSweeney was one of three ex-Cork City players released by Hartlepool United at the end of last season. Gamble and Behan joined Limerick, while McSweeney signed a two-year contract with Leyton Orient, where he’s since been joined by former City striker Dave Mooney. The 27-year-old from Ballyvolane has made over 120 league appearances since returning to English football in 2007 so his experience and versatility will be a major asset to the east London club.
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ALAN BENNETT (Cheltenham Town – League Two)
The ex-Cork City defender begins a new chapter in his career this season, having joined the Gloucestershire club over the summer. Bennett endured a difficult spell at Wycombe Wanderers last season, making just 16 appearances for the north London club. The 29-year-old defender from Waterfall has been handed the captain’s armband at Cheltenham and has plenty of experience of the role. Bennett skippered Brentford to the League Two title in 2009.
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CONOR HOURIHANE (Plymouth Argyle – League Two)
Still waiting to make his first-team debut in English football, Hourihane can expect that to change shortly following his move to Plymouth from Ipswich Town last week. A creative midfielder, the 20-year-old from Bandon originally came to England in 2007 when then Sunderland manager Roy Keane brought him to the Stadium of Light from Douglas Hall. Hourihane scored the winning goal and impressed Plymouth boss Peter Reid during a pre-season friendly against Truro City last week, with the club’s website describing him as “the best player on the park.”
This article appeared in the Evening Echo on Friday, August 5th, 2011.
