Kelly takes another bow

NO surprises for guessing what subject has dominated the conversation among the Irish contingent at Craven Cottage recently.

“All that Damien and myself can talk about in the last few weeks is this game,” says Stephen Kelly, with something not far off a fan’s enthusiasm for the European Championship play-off.

Damien, of course, is his Fulham team-mate — Damien Duff, a player who was performing at the World Cup finals when Kelly, then aged 19 and just starting out on his career at Spurs, was still that fan looking in from afar.