Kieran Shannon: Pride can swiftly turn into embarrassment with this Ireland team

Ireland’s heartbreaking defeat in Lisbon was oh so familiar, another gallant performance showing promise but ending in pain. They now need to break the cycle of generating hope only for it to dissipate in the next game 

Should Ireland manage to beat Armenia on Tuesday, it would send them into the final window of the campaign still having a chance of qualifying for the World Cup. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

On Saturday night, even as clinical and objective an eye as Didi Hamann’s seemed to have a tear in it.

Although Ireland had lost in Lisbon, “everyone”, he claimed, would be “proud of the lads”.