McCarthy defiant as his goal-shy Irish side limp on into play-offs

MICK McCARTHY said Denmark had shown Ireland a lack of respect before this Euro 2020 shootout but then watched his team do little to earn any new-found admiration with a largely uninspiring display. It leaves Ireland headed for March’s play-offs in their bid to avoid the ignominy of missing out on a tournament for which they are one of 12 hosts. But, on this evidence and the entirety of a laboured qualifying campaign, you just cannot see them winning a match against half-decent opponents, let alone emerge victorious in two of them. Indeed, in over two years of competitive games, they have beaten only Gibraltar and Georgia and they never looked like adding Denmark to that list last night. Yet a defiant McCarthy said: ‘We can beat anyone in the play-offs. The players go back to their clubs and we don’t have a game until March. ‘I’ll be getting round them and reminding them it has been a good campaign. I am immensely proud of the players. They pushed them right to the limit.’ Ireland striker David McGoldrick, meanwhile, said: ‘We gave it our all and that’s what the manager asked for. It’s heartbreaking.’ This was the sixth meeting between these nations since 2017 and neither would take offence were they to demand UEFA to keep them apart in all forthcoming competitions. It has been dire fare and, given the stakes here, it was never likely to produce an epic. Rather, entertainment was to be gleaned amid the tension. The half-hour arrived with the hosts having barely emerged from their own half. You could argue that all was going according to plan. Bizarrely, they began to masquerade as Manchester City, taking risks in their own six-yard box. It was scary stuff at times but Denmark were showing equally little ambition to score a goal. Christian Eriksen did dispatch one goal-bound volley that was blocked by skipper Shane Duffy, while Ireland found their shooting boots late in the half and Alan Browne smashed narrowly wide before Conor Hourihane drew an easy save from Kasper Schmeichel. He did cause far greater alarm early in the second half when his cross bounced through bodies and a panicked Schmeichel pawed clear having seen it very late. McCarthy said he would happily arrive at the final 25 minutes goalless and, to no great surprise, they duly did. It was then that the complexion of the game took on a different guise. As the chill mist descended, the temperature rose inside the Aviva and Ireland, belatedly but in keeping with the gameplan, began to attack. McGoldrick fired over the bar as he spun inside the area but the hosts were soon deflated when Denmark broke and Martin Braithwaite poked in from Henrik Dalsgaard’s centre. There was late hope when Matt Doherty (above) headed in from an Enda Stevens’ cross but Denmark resisted to book their place in next summer’s finals.