LOOMING, MATT TELLS OF SQUAD’S RESOLVE TO SEAL SPOT NOW OR NEVER READY FOR A HUGE WEEK

Doherty determined to end Ireland’s finals wait

THE clock continues to tick on the length of time that has passed since Ireland last took its seat at football’s top tables.

Two decades ago, Mick McCarthy’s Boys in Green reached the last 16 of the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

Gavin Bazunu and Troy Parrott were only three months old when Matt Holland drilled his low shot into the Cameroon net, while Nathan Collins had recently blown the candle out on his first birthday cake.

Andrew Omobamidele entered this world a week after the side’s penalty shootout defeat to Spain in Suwon.

If the European Championships have recently proved kinder to the Irish, there’s no escaping the conclusion that failing to reach Euro 2020 was a missed opportunity.

For Matt Doherty, it’s time for this Ireland team and staff to deliver a return to the big time.

That means qualifying for Euro 2024 in Germany.

“That really is the feeling,” declares Doherty, who was 24 when Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane steered Ireland to Euro 2016 in France but who would not make his senior Ireland bow until the age of 26 against Turkey.

Serious

“A lot of us are kind of at that age where there might not be that many more opportunities to kind of get back into a serious competition.

“Some of us have never been, including myself.

“We’re pretty focused, we’ve a set goal that we want to achieve. I think we’re capable of reaching it.

“I know people might not think that’s the case but I feel like I know football.

“I know how good the players are, how much they listen to the manager.

“I think we are capable of achieving something, yes.”

The Euro 2024 qualifying

REPORTS

draw in Frankfurt on Sunday, October 9 will reveal the opposition that Stephen Kenny’s side will encounter next year, with the team’s third seeding status and a tougher playoff route — if that is even achieved — ensuring that the seeking to plot a path to Germany will be a formidable challenge.

For Doherty, the ideal preparation for the opening Euro qualification games next March is to sign off with maximum points from the two remaining Nations League matches with Scotland and Armenia and November’s friendlies against Norway and Malta.

Home

“I say it all the time, in every single game no one wants to lose. We want to go away to Scotland and beat them. We want to beat Armenia at home, the same with the friendlies.

“We’ve not lost that many games in the last two years. We want to continue on a streak of not losing games.

“Every game is tough as some have quality but no team is blowing us away. It’s always tough.

“If you look at Belgium, Portugal twice, we’re giving everyone a run for their money.”

June’s major setback when losing 1-0 in Armenia and then again by the same scoreline at home to a much-changed Ukraine side was offset to some degree by the 3-0 hammering of the Scots in Dublin and strong showing in the 1-1 draw with the Ukrainians in Lodz.

“Honestly, I think the confidence is really high all the time.

“We get coached extremely well, our game plan is almost always spot on so the confidence is there from the set-up we have, the belief that they give us.

“I think maybe at the start of the reign, when the manager first came in, he was trying to find confidence in players.

“But since then, everyone has been on top form and ready to play for him.

“Of course, you’re always striving for consistency aren’t you?

Games

“We want to win every game we play, we look at the fixtures that we have and we think that they are winnable games.

“But we know our game plan, we trust each other, the management, the players, all the staff we have belief and trust in each other. knows what I can do for him.

“Once he thinks I’m available, I’m sure he’ll give me more time.”

Doherty and Seamus Coleman have vied for the right wing-back slot since Kenny took charge two years ago.

But Coleman’s own injury issues and lack of game time at Everton mean Doherty will probably slip ahead of him in the pecking order.

And despite Doherty’s last start coming against Aston Villa in early April — when he suffered the injury — he feels fully ready to win his 30th senior cap.

“I feel ready to start. We train really hard at club level and if you’re not starting games, you’re ready to start, even if you’re not coming off the bench.

Moving

“It probably took a little bit longer than expected.

“I was pretty much available all of preseason but wasn’t moving that well.

“But in the last three or four weeks I’ve felt back to where I was in training.

“I’ve just been doing things more off the cuff and not having to do think about them, find my confidence in training.

“I’m kind of chomping at the bit.

“We train really hard at club level so I think fitness won’t be an issue going into the two games for me.”