I need games to earn Irish recall, admits Doyle

BIRMINGHAM CITY goalkeeper Colin Doyle admits he needs regular football if he is to re-ignite his international career.

The 26-year-old Cork man was back on Leeside on Saturday and played in the second half of Birmingham’s friendly victory over Cork City at Turner’s Cross.

However he is behind Ben Foster in the pecking order at Birmingham and realises he needs to be playing regularly to challenge Shay Given for the Republic’s No 1 jersey and add to a solitary international cap won in a friendly against Ecuador in 2007.

“It’s hard to get into an international set-up if you’re not playing week in, week out,’’ he said. “Shay’s a well-established goalie, didn’t play many games last year, had a few injuries but it probably looks like he’s going to Villa now so he’ll be playing week in, week out. Keiren (Westwood’s) gone to Sunderland. He played week in, week out last year for Coventry, Joe Murphy played week in, week out for Scunthorpe so I can’t really expect to get into the Irish side at the moment because I’m not playing regularly.”

Doyle’s fellow Irishman Adam Rooney got the winner against City on his debut. He too has international ambitions but says his priority at the moment is to secure a regular starting berth for Birmingham after his move from Scottish side Inverness.

It may have been only a friendly but Cork’s defeat to Chris Hughton’s side left manager Tommy Dunne a frustrated man. Hughton paid tribute to City’s passing quality but his counterpart had a decidedly different view.

‘‘I totally disagree with what Chris said,” he said. ‘‘We didn’t pass the ball well enough in the first half. At the back when they pressed us quickly we should have been good enough and confident enough to be able to go into midfield at times and didn’t do that.”

However that proviso aside, Dunne felt his team gave a decent account of themselves against a team who, despite their relegation from the Premier League on the final day of last season, still possess players of real quality. “We kept the game respectable,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s not to say we were negative. We had a few breaks in the first half when we possibly could have done something. We’re organised and fellas understand what we’re looking for from them in matches. Some of our players really acquitted themselves well. Graham Cummins looked sharp again which is a hugely important thing.”

Cummins did indeed look lively and he tested Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster after just two minutes before feeding Daryl Horgan who forced Foster into a full-length save after 29 minutes. But within two minutes Birmingham went in front. The goal came when Keith Fahey — the best player on the pitch by a distance — attacked down the left and crossed into the box. Cork City defender Gavin Kavanagh attempted to cut it out but succeeded only in heading goalwards. Goalkeeper Mark McNulty made a stunning reaction save but Rooney pounced to hammer home from close range.

Dunne later revealed Cork’s Airtricity League challenge may soon be boosted by the addition of Clarke Keltie on a permanent basis.

CORK CITY: McNulty (McCarthy 45); N Horgan (Turner 45), Kavanagh (Burns 83), Spillane (Mulcahy 45), Murphy, D Horgan (McGreevy 70), Morrissey (Escude-Candau 45), Duggan (O’Halloran 45), Keltie, O’Neill (O’Brien 45), Cummins (Sullivan 45).

BIRMINGHAM: Foster (Doyle 45); Carr (Oxturk 45), Davies (Kerr 45), Caldwell (Dann 45), Ridgewell (Valles 45), Redmond (Burke 45), Mutch (Madera 45), Gomis, Fahey, Rooney (Jervis 45), Asante.

Referee: Graham Kelly.