DOOM AND ZOOM
Defenders will chat online to iron out errors
SHANE Duffy and John Egan will have emergency Zoom calls with Republic of Ireland No 2 Keith Andrews to address defensive lapses ahead of the crucial Euro 2020 play-off in Slovakia next month.
For the second successive game, there were fault-lines in the Duffy-Egan axis as Ireland crashed 1-0 at home to Finland in the Nations League last night.
‘Hopefully, John and I can have Zoom calls to see what we need to do better, and what we’re comfortable with for the big game against Slovakia.
‘Keith has touched on that,’ said Duffy, who offered his full support for manager Stephen Kenny’s creed after an opening draw and defeat. ‘We trust in what we’re doing,’ added Duffy. ‘It’s still early days and it’s not nice. We’ve got to keep going, we want to get better. This is the way the manager wants to play.
‘We need to sort it out quickly as the better
face of goal for Jensen to slide in and score from close range. The Augsburg striker had been on the pitch for less than a minute.
Briefly, Ireland rallied, with Callum Robinson to the fore.
He sent over a teasing cross from the right which McGoldrick and Connolly got close to, before being put through by Matt Doherty in the inside-right channel.
The strike was crisp but Lukas Hradecky spread himself athletically to block.
As the game opened up, Pukki was denied by Randolph, and then tugged inches wide with a snap shot on the turn.
With the Ireland defensive line rocking, Randolph was called to action again to thwart Nikolai Alho.
Two minutes from the end, Brady swung over a corner and Duffty made contact with his head but there was no get out of jail card this time for Ireland.