O'Brien: We can turn it round

Cork midfielder Colin O’Brien believes Neale Fenn’s late away goal in the first leg of the Intertoto Cup quarter-final has got Nantes “a little worried” ahead of tomorrow’s return match at Turner’s Cross.

The French club take a 3-1 lead into the game but it could have been much worse for the Irishmen had Fenn not scored with 11 minutes remaining last Sunday.

O’Brien, Cork’s influential midfielder who has been passed fit for the second leg after a neck strain, said: “The tie is still alive for us with the away goal, and we have to convince ourselves of that now.

“It all makes for a fascinating match, and I think they are a little worried given that we scored away from home.

“I think if we can sit on the midfielders (Olivier) Quint and (Jeremy) Toulalan, and stop them being so influential it will give us a chance.”

The 29-year-old O’Brien was boss Pat Dolan’s only slight injury doubt and City now have a clean bill of health going into the second leg.

“The injury was in the neck muscles after the game in Nantes,” he told the Cork Evening Echo.

“I just felt it coming on at the airport and I think it was a bit of a delayed reaction. It was like a crick in the neck to be honest.

“I trained the other night and I had no reaction to it. It’s cleared up overnight and I am fine, no worries at all.”