Irish lose but Kenny says Euro play-off is his priority

Substitute Fredrik Jensen ruined Stephen Kenny’ s big night as he came off the bench to fire Finland to Nations League victory over the Republic of Ire - land.

Jensen had been on the pitch for just 18 seconds when he fired the Finns ahead – converting a Robert Taylor cross at the far post – somewhat against the run of play to ensure the manager’s first home game ended in a 1-0 defeat at an empty Aviva Stadium.

After a pedestrian first half, Ireland finally established some mo mentum, with Aaron Connolly and substitutes David Mc Gold rick and Callum Robinson threatening either side of Jensen’s strike, but as the home side pushed for an equaliser, they were hit repeatedly on the counter.

Skip per Shane Duffy, recently recruited by Celtic, pictured, headed agonisingly over at the death after keeper Darren Randolph had kept Finland at bay, but there was no way back.

The defeat, coupled with Thursday night’s 1-1 draw in Bulgaria, left the Republic still awaiting a first Nations League win and Kenny with as many questions as answers as he attempts to draw up a blueprint for next month’ s Euro 2020 play-off in Slovakia.

Kenny, the former Dunfermline manager, took the defeat in his stride, though, and is already turning his attention to the task ahead next month.

He said: “Listen, we used these games as, we wanted to win them – the first game at home here, of course we wanted to win – but for us, there’s a bigger picture and that’s Slovakia.

“We were a bit experimental in the games and we want players to really put their hand up and put themselves in the picture.

“We need to increase our attacking options, for sure, for the game against Slovakia.”