Ireland now planning to add craft to graft
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND underlined once again that they have few equals when it comes to rolling up sleeves, digging in and defending as if their lives depend on it.
Against Denmark on Saturday, they were outplayed but never outfought or outwitted in the first leg of their World Cup play-off.
And manager Martin O’Neill has promised there will be a creative edge that was missing in Copenhagen in tomorrow’s second leg.
“It doesn’t matter what it looks like or how we get through as long as we do,” said defender Shane Duffy. “In the first leg, it was scruffy, a little bit ugly. Maybe we could have put our foot on the ball more.
“It’s not an excuse but the pitch wasn’t great and you could see even some of their technical players were struggling. The ball was bobbling so it was a tough night for both teams.”
Darren Randolph, who was named man of the match, pulled off two excellent saves in the opening half-hour as Denmark threatened to overwhelm the visitors. But the Republic were so effective in dousing their fire that he was not called into action again until the dying moments. The Middlesbrough keeper said: “It’s win or bust now. Our job was to keep in the tie and give ourselves a chance and we’ve done that. Now we go to Dublin and go again.” The Republic have a good recent record in do-or-die showdowns but they know another goalless draw will mean Ireland’s first penalty shoot-out since losing to Spain in the last 16 of the World Cup in 2002. Randolph revealed he has never experienced a shoot-out as a professional. “My last penalty save was for West Ham against Bournemouth last season,” he said. “We’re all aware it could go to penalties and we’re prepared for that, but our aim is to win the game in 90 minutes.”