ROTTEN IN DENMARK
O’Neill’s men stink the place out again in drab stalemate
DENMARK ........ 0 REP IRELAND.. 0
GREIG THOMAS
SEAMUS COLEMAN last night admitted 2018 has been a letdown after the Republic signed off with a Nations League stalemate.
The Irish failed to register a single shot on target as Martin O’Neill’s side made it 397 minutes without a goal.
Coleman and Co scrapped for just a second Group B4 point with the Danes already guaranteed top spot.
Only the woodwork stopped Nicolai Jorgensen inflicting a defeat 21 minutes from time as Ireland made it just one win from nine games this year.
Skipper Coleman said: “It is a clean sheet away and we needed some kind of result.
“We need work in the final third but we battled well – it is a good result. We tried to get into them in the right areas and win the ball back.
“A bit of improvement in the final third and we will be heading in the right direction.
“It was a difficult game. Jeff Hendrick tried to make things happen. With the lads coming in, they have a point to prove and it is good to give them experience.
“We could only take tonight but the year has not been great. We would’ve liked to win but it was not meant to be.”
For all Denmark had 26 shots, only one was on target when Yussuf Poulsen headed tamely at Darren Randolph 14 minutes before the break.
An off-balance Poulsen skied over from close in within two minutes of the restart before Jorgensen robbed Richard Keogh then beat Randolph but not the post.
O’Neill, who handed 18-year-old Michael Obafemi a debut off the bench, hailed Ireland’s defensive display.
He said: “Lack of goalscoring chances? In the competitive games this season that was our eighth debutant. Players are getting used to playing with each other. The players will be ready for the big games.”