Billy Dennehy and Cork City happy again
“Ah yeah, of course,” he says. “There are not really any big issues or anything, there was no falling out or anything like that, there was difference of opinions.
“I’m a player that loves playing football, I’m very passionate and I take my football seriously so to be back on the pitch is the most important thing for me.”
Just how strikingly opinions can differ came to a head in City’s Europa League game against KR of Iceland at Turner’s Cross in early July when Dennehy clashed on the pitch with his own team mate Mark O’ Sullivan.
Although the winger plays down the incident now – “we had a chat the next day and there were never any problems,” he maintains – it marked the beginning of a seven-week long exile for Dennehy from the Cork team which looked all set to become permanent.
But with no move to another club having materialised, he has now unexpectedly been brought back in from the cold by a manager who, at one point, seemed fully prepared to see the player exit Turner’s Cross.
“We had a chat last week and at the end of the day I want the best for the club,” Caufield explains.
“I’m no fool, there were a few things that needed to be ironed out and once the chat was over with we just drive on. It was great for him to get 20 minutes on Friday and with next weekend coming up he should take more of a part. He’s come back in the last couple of weeks and trained hard and his intention is to get his place back.”
Dennehy’s goal after coming off the bench on Friday rounded off a great night for the club whose less than generous reward for knocking the holders out of the FAI Cup is a trip to the Brandywell to take on Derry City in the quarter-finals.
“Football is a funny game, there’s a lot of ups and downs,” Dennehy reflects.
“You see it all the time. I was surprised myself how high profile it was me not being involved.
“I didn’t realise but I’m delighted to be involved with the lads and back on the pitch. Finishing off with a tap-in on was sweet.”
For Caulfield, Friday’s resurgent victory over Pat’s was a vindication of his players’ character after back to back defeats in the league had some of the natives more than a little restless.
“I’m delighted for them because they took a lot of stick,” he says.
“When you’re winning everyone wants to applaud you, hug you and kiss you and whatever and when you lose a certain element just want to slag the team off and criticise people.
“And that’s difficult because these are great guys, they work hard and have done fantastic for this club since I’ve come here.
“It’s been difficult for them to take but I said to them, ‘you can’t think about it, you’ve to bounce back and show character’. And that’s what they did. That pleased me the most.”
As well as pitting Cork away to Derry, yesterday’s FAI Cup quarter-finals draw has Bray Wanderers at home to Killester United, Dundalk at home to Sligo Rovers and Longford Town hosting either Athlone Town or Sheriff YC who meet in a Third Round replay at the Athlone Town Stadium this evening (7.45pm).
The quarter-finals will be played on the weekend of September 13.
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