JOHN EGAN admits it was a difficult 90 minutes, as Ireland drew 0-0 with Georgia in their Euro 2020 qualifier today.
There was optimism that the Boys in Green could come away with three points having won the reverse fixture, but difficult conditions contributed to a sub-par display.
Egan, who was making his competitive debut, was named man of the match, after an assured performance at the back.
“It’s hard [to realise] when you’re watching on the telly, but the pitch out there is like a rock, it’s like concrete,” he told RTÉ. “Obviously, the Georgians, they’re a good side. They pop it well and play good football — we knew that coming over, so our gameplan was to try to keep a clean sheet, get a chance or two and try to take them.
“We had two or three decent chances and limited them, so with a little bit of luck, we could have nicked it.”
Egan himself could have won it, after his header from a set piece early on came back off the post.
“Sometimes you just need that little fraction of luck and unfortunately, it hit the post and came out. I heard someone say ‘yes’ as soon as I headed it, so I thought it was in.
“But we dug deep out there for a result and were well worthy of at least a point tonight.”
‘We dug deep out there and we were well worthy of at least a point’ – Man of the match John Egan reflects on the 0-0 draw with Georgia on his first competitive start for Ireland #euro2020 #GEOIRL pic.twitter.com/2Ubpl2mXjQ
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 12, 2019
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Worse than paint drying
@Mark walsh: that’s a bit unfair…. to paint
Connolly done more in ten minutes than half of them did in 90. Hendrick, Hourihane and McClean are absolute muck. McCarthy is as bad as O’Neill ffs. Sooner Kenny is in and brings more than a few of the 21s with him the better.
@Jeremy McCarthy: Hourihane is far from muck but sticking him a midfield with Whelan and Hendrick isn’t doing him any favours. Hourihane, Browne and Cullen is the way to go.
@Keelan O’neill: he does nothing in games, he hides and points to other players to receive the ball instead of taking responsibility. One good ball from a free kick, what else did he do?
I feel sorry for the football. Being kicked and headed. The poor thing looked depressed with 2 rubbish teams using it
@Simon Dwyer: got a good old chuckle out of that
Seeing absolutely no difference between Martin O’Neills football and McCarthys !
@Nightowl: common symptoms being the players
@my name: Na, the leadership and the message the players receive make a massive difference. Sure Egan says it, “the gameplan was try keep a clean sheet and get a chance or two”. Thats what they were told to do. Madness. And to not be brave enough to start your form and confident players. ridiculous.
We dug deep against Georgia…
That sums up the mentality that McCarthy has instilled in the players… whereas the U21s were gutted to only get a draw against Italy…
To did deep you need pitch forks and shovels,not plastic forks and spoons,seriously though the lad’s comment sums up the whole debacle perfectly