Irishman putting recent injury blow behind him
City striker John O’Flynn is keen to consign the injury that he incurred against Torquay last month into the past, and is looking forward to the prospect of being involved in first-team affairs once again this weekend.
Flynny hobbled off with a hamstring injury when the Devon Derby was merely eight minutes old, having landed awkwardly after going for an aerial challenge. But after plenty of gym-work, some cryogenic treatment in Ireland and a number of productive training sessions recently to boost fitness levels back up, the 30-year-old is relishing the prospect of getting stuck in again – hopefully against Burton this weekend.
“It was a bit of an innocuous thing really,” said Flynny, of the injury he sustained at Plainmoor. “I went up for a header with their centre-half, and when I landed I felt something go. I came off straight away, which has probably speeded up the healing a bit. It’s been tough watching the lads, but they’ve been doing great and I’m back now so that’s in the past for me.
“I’ve been working hard with Andy [Proctor] in the gym. It’s just boring stuff in there, and tedious exercises that you’ve got to do for the first few weeks. So it’s good to get out on the pitch and start running and be involved – and I’ve been doing that for the last couple of weeks. To be out training is what you wake up in the morning for really.
“I trained last week on Tuesday and Thursday, but because the game came a day earlier on the Friday [against Accrington] I wasn’t involved. But I’ve had all this week now so I’m hoping to be involved in some way on Saturday.”
One player that has been finding more and more game-time in recent months is Flynny’s countryman Jimmy Keohane. The 22-year-old has made a real impact and become a key member of the first team, and O’Flynn is delighted to see his friend getting the fruits of his hard work.
“[Jimmy’s] a fantastic lad,” said Flynny. “He gets his head down and works hard all the time, whether it’s in the reserves or the first team.
“He was joking at the start of last month, saying he’d got more stitches than goals this season! But he’s turned that around and got two good goals the other night. He’s looking a good player and he’s still young, so he’s got a big future ahead of him.”
And as well as having an instinctive understanding on the pitch – including Keohane’s fine assist for O’Flynn against Southend – the pair also get on well away from the field, Flynny and explained why Jimmy is such a popular character for players and fans alike
“He’s Irish as well, so when he first came over last season I had him up at my place for a couple of weeks and he got to know all the lads after that.
“He’s a good lad and easy to get on with, and you can see on the pitch he works 100 per cent. I think the fans like a player that gives everything.”
Burton Albion provide the weekend’s opposition, and they have been something of a surprise package this season. Despite only narrowly staving off relegation in recent years, they have risen to fourth under the stewardship of Gary Rowett.
“They’ve crept up the table under the radar really,” said O’Flynn. “Their home form has been good – I think their last six have been wins at home. So it’s going to be a good game, and they look a good football team as well. Hopefully it’ll be a good spectacle for the City fans that travel.”
The 3-0 victory for City at the Park earlier in the season probably reads a little more comfortably than the game itself implied. O’Flynn came off the bench late in the fixture to net the final goal, but he is wary off the threats the side will offer.
“I came on in that game as a sub – the game was in the balance and they looked a decent team, but we got the goals at the right time and ran out 3-0 victors. But there’s no easy games in League 2 really, as we’ve seen the way this season’s gone.”