THE RTÉ PANEL agreed that Scotland deserved their victory tonight, while Eamon Dunphy suggested that Ireland need to adopt a more adventurous approach to ensure future progress.

While Martin O’Neill claimed neither side were proficient at passing the ball, Dunphy claimed that the Scots were superior technically and that Ireland should learn from the experience.

“They were in control of the football and we had to defend really well and work hard to keep it to one. They had a lot more guile and quality with the ball at their feet. We never had their defenders under any pressure, except on the odd corner.

“We’ve got to string passes together. That’s the dimension of our game that needs to grow. There’s nothing wrong with morale, there’s nothing wrong with the coach, there was a balance to the side tonight, but we’ve got to get the ball down more.”

Fellow analyst Liam Brady agreed that the Scots “showed more invention and creativity,” while Richie Sadlier argued that the hosts adapted to the pressure of the occasion better.

“They dealt with it better. Martin [O'Neill] said they didn’t really get the ball down and play, they did at times, but we didn’t really at all. There were moments where there were a couple of chances, but they were too brief.

“They were a better team than us, but it was not an excellent Scotland performance.”

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