Gavin Cooney reports from the Aviva Stadium

STEPHEN KENNY SAID victory wouldn’t have flattered Ireland in this evening’s 2-2 friendly draw with Belgium. 

Ireland twice came from behind to snaffle a draw with the world’s top-ranked side.  

“I thought it was a high technical standard overall”, said Kenny. “Obviously I felt it was end to end, really. I’m disappointed with the two goals that we conceded, both goals, but to have the determination and the quality to come back and score the two goals that we did is hugely encouraging. Certainly to win the game would not have flattered us at all, the ball cleared off the line that we should have scored, just after half-time that would have made it 2-1, that was a crucial moment.” 

Kenny was disappointed with the concession of the second goal, from Thorgan Hazrd’s corner. 

“It is our second goal [conceded] from a corner kick in 20 games, we pride ourselves on that and it wasn’t good enough.” 

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez first said he was relieved at the intensity and quality of the Irish performance, ensuring it was a “meaningful” game for his more experimental squad. He also praised his side’s ability to keep their heads amid the Aviva atmosphere. 

“We could have played with our starting XI and learned nothing. Now we have 25 players from which we can pick for 10 or 11 players for the World Cup. We didn’t defend the box very well, but on the other side we had really good moments. The first goal is a good action on counter and great finish by Michy…the crowd made it very, very difficult at times. For me it was a perfect exercise.” 

Martinez broke down the game’s ebbs and flows, saying that his side bossed the first half-hour before then ceding momentum to Ireland for the next half hour, until Belgium regained the lead just prior to the hour mark. He then admitted they allowed Ireland into the ascendancy for a second equaliser in the final 10 minutes. 

Kenny pointed to the contribution of his centre-back John Egan as crucial in swinging the momentum of the game of the first-half. 

“To be fair, I thought John Egan changed a lot in that period because his press was so aggressive from left centre-back that he won some critical challenges and forced them on the back foot, and he took the ball out to add some calm to our play. I felt he was very very influential when we needed someone to be, in both characteristics, in terms of spectacular challenges 25 yards from their goal and also to carry the ball out and be able to use it well.

“They really only had that one shot in the first half and one into the side-netting, that was it. But because they are 1-0 up they can drop one of the strikers into midfield and overload midfield and dominate possession. That gave us a problem possession-wise in that period. Shane Duffy was our spare man in that period but once we got the goal we were on top in that period and on top in the second half.

“Then the dynamic of the game changes, they have to try and come at you a little more and don’t try to just keep the ball. We showed more quality then as well because we were inconsistent with our passing in the opening period of the game. We had some good passes and some erratic ones.

“It wasn’t just John, Seamus [Coleman] actually broke 25 yards from their goal, intercepted and put a really nice pass in, so in that aspect of things we were quite aggressive in being able to get in front of our man and we committed players to a high press. Our pressing was relentless and they struggled to get out…it requires a huge amount of energy and you can’t carry a player even slightly in that situation. We were willing to do that, we don’t want to be in a low block playing against them.

“It’s a slow death, we’re not having that, we don’t want that. We want to try and affect the game.”

Martinez, meanwhile, was asked whether his assistant manager Thierry Henry was upset to be roundly booed by the Aviva crowd. “He is quite an experienced man, he won’t be upset at being booed. He understands.”