Having saved their best till last, what a shame it was that Ireland’s hugely impressive performance in the 1-1 draw with Denmark just wasn’t quite good enough to qualify us directly for Euro 2020.

Alan Browne was left “gutted” after the Republic of Ireland’s hopes of clinching automatic qualification for the Euro 2020 finals slipped away in agonising style.

Denmark's Martin Braithwaite edged between Duffy and Matt Doherty with 17 minutes remaining of Monday's qualifier to stab a volley beyond his former Middlesbrough team-mate Darren Randolph in the Irish goal.

While the Wolves man grabbed his first international goal five minutes from full-time to cancel out Martin Braithwaite’s breakthrough 12 minutes earlier, the 1-1 draw sent Denmark into the finals at Ireland’s expense.

“Mixed emotions,” said McCarthy afterwards.

“Will it be a tale of goalkeepers?” George Hamilton intones portentously as the camera zooms in on Kasper Schmeichel. “Will it be a tale of goalscorers?”

The Republic of Ireland’s 40-year run of misery against Denmark has continued as Ireland were left to retreat to the back-up of a Euro 2020 play-off.

The Republic of Ireland’s best performance of the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign wasn’t enough to deliver the required victory to make it through to next year’s tournament.

Larry Ryan picks out five things we probably knew already from Ireland's draw with Denmark...

Paul Dowling assesses the performances of Ireland's players in the 1-1 draw with Denmark.

Matt Doherty’s late header was not enough to send the Republic of Ireland to the Euro 2020 finals as they came up just short in a tense encounter with old foes Denmark.

Browne's inclusion in the starting team for last Thursday's friendly against New Zealand appeared to rule him out of the running.

Who was your man-of-the-match?

Wolves took a big step towards qualifying for the knockout stages of the Europa League after Raul Jimenez struck in injury time to defeat Slovan Bratislava at Molineux.

Spurs teenager Troy Parrott and Celtic's Lee O'Connor both make the move up from Stephen Kenny's U21 squad

Parrott will become the third youngest ever Irish international on Thursday week in a friendly that will act as an audition for the decisive Euro qualifier against Denmark.

Whelan is not the only injury worry for Mick McCarthy ahead of the crucial Euro 2020 qualifier against Denmark in a fortnight's time.

Raul Jimenez was on hand to head home a late leveller for Wolves as Arsenal let a lead slip for the third time in a week to increase pressure on head coach Unai Emery.

Seamus Coleman will miss out as he serves a two-game suspension but will be invited to join up with the squad in Dublin for the final Euro 2020 qualifier.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side play their 21st game of the season when they travel to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup tomorrow.

Jonny struck to deny 10-man Newcastle back-to-back Premier League home victories as Wolves fought back to snatch a point at St James’ Park.

After the 2-0 defeat to Switzerland in Geneva on Tuesday, Mick McCarthy has no hesitation in saying that Ireland were beaten by “the best team in the group”.

Forty-five years after making my Ireland debut, 55 years after watching my country play for the first time, I’m struggling to think of a week when we produced back-to-back performances as poor as these.

And so it's Daneja vu all over again.

Mick McCarthy's side head into this evening's away match in Switzerland still unbeaten in Group D.

Barring one adventurous run in which he cut inside a couple of Georgian defenders into their penalty box, Matt Doherty made little impact during the stalemate in Tbilisi.

Aaron Connolly is very much in Mick McCarthy’s mind for a starting place in Geneva tomorrow night but if the Brighton bright spark is to be given the nod, the manager suggests he might need support up front.

Ireland are top of the group with two games to play - starting with a tough tie in Switzerland on Tuesday.

The Republic of Ireland have drawn 0-0 against Georgia in their Euro 2020 qualifier in Tbilisi.

It didn’t take long at Mick McCarthy’s pre-match press conference for the visitors present to learn that Aaron Connolly’s fever had already reached Tbilisi.

Mick McCarthy has an acid tongue that is also capable of delivering lines as smooth as velvet.

Matt Doherty pauses as he weighs up the question.

Matt Doherty claims he had a heated telephone conversation with Martin O’Neill after the latter’s reign as Ireland manager came to an end.

Blackburn Rovers defenders Darragh Lenihan and Greg Cunningham have been called up for the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2020 qualifiers this month.

Ricardo Horta struck to earn Braga victory as Wolves’ European dream was given a wake-up call.

In a spirit of, as he put it,“nothing ventured, nothing gained”, Mick McCarthy has made the left-field decision to play Conor Hourihane atleft-back against Bulgaria at the Aviva Stadium tonight.

Of their 19 games since the start of 2018, Switzerland have lost five, tacked on by a penalty shoot-out loss to England in the Nations League finals last time out.

Four players have withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for Thursday's Euro 2020 qualifier against Switzerland due to fitness issues.

Mick McCarthy's men face Switzerland in a "huge" Euro2020 qualifier on September 5 before a friendly with Bulgaria five days later.

Mick McCarthy has named his Ireland squad for the forthcoming European Championship qualifier against Switzerland and the friendly with Bulgaria.

Wolves have never hidden their ambitions. At a business breakfast event in the city in September 2018, then-managing director Laurie Dalrymple spoke of his pride at Wolves’s progress over the previous two years.

Stephen Kelly, who played under Roy Hodgson at Fulham, believes the former England manager is just the man to get the best out of James McCarthy at Crystal Palace and help the midfielder refloat his international career.

Mick McCarthy recently admitted Troy Parrott is a ‘shoo-in’ for a call-up to the senior squad if he figures regularly for Spurs this season

On top of the fellow feeling you would naturally expect him to have for fellow boys in green, Gary Breen, proud son of a Kerryman, has an additional reason for hoping John Egan and the rest of the Irish contingent at Sheffield United do well in the Premier League.