McCarthy looks on bright side

REPUBLIC of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy says he is not downhearted as he contemplates a winnertakes-all clash with Denmark with a trip to the Euro 2020 finals at stake.

Ireland would have already booked their ticket had they won in Switzerland last night but a 2-0 defeat by the side currently sitting in 11th place in the Fifa rankings left them needing to take three points from the Danes in Dublin next month to qualify automatically.

McCarthy, who will be without skipper Seamus Coleman for the Group D decider following his dismissal for two bookable offences at the Stade de Geneva, said: “It doesn’t worry me because it is winner takes all in that game and I keep saying I would settle for that.

“We would like more shots on target, we would like more goals. We got ourselves into this position by not conceding and being pretty tough at that and then nicking a goal if we have to. And we are still in a position to qualify, so we are happy with that.”

Ireland succumbed to the Swiss after a poor first-half display allowed Haris Seferovic to give the home side a 16th-minute lead. However, it took the Swiss until the final kick of the game to wrap up the win when defender Shane Duffy could only help s u b st i t u t e E d i m i l s o n Fernandes’ shot into his own net.

In the meantime, Coleman had seen red after blocking Breel Embolo’s shot with his arm, only for keeper Darren Randolph to save the resulting penalty.

Mick McCarthy