It’s hard to take after the way we played, mourns Kelly

GARY KELLY was one of the first Irish players out to face the media, one eye on the Spanish players as they gave their own reporters the victors’ perspective.

You got the sense that Kelly couldn’t believe the roles weren’t reversed. "They were hanging on. Typical. No one gave us a chance but we just kept going and kept going. We don’t know when to stop. People call us a pub team sometimes." A weary shake of the head. "It’s hard to take after the way we played.

"The penalties? Every one of them just put their hands up straight away and Mick just went, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, these five are taking them. What can you do? They either go in or they don’t. They just didn’t go in. That’s the way it goes sometimes."

Ironically, on a night that will be remembered forever for the shoot-out, it was Ian Harte’s unsuccessful penalty in normal time, which may have been the most significant spot kick of the night.

"I think that’s when we knew the luck was going to stick with them," says Kelly. "They were gone, if it was a boxing match, they were out of the game altogether. But you have to take your hats off to them, they weathered the storm, kept going, and at the end probably all their best penalty takers were on the bench. They missed two as well.

A great adventure none the less? "Brilliant, I’ve had the time of my life. I’m looking forward to seeing my kids now. I missed them, shocking."

And after that, the international future beckons. For some. "Big Niall and Stan came in there and said whatever you do, don’t get into a little rut or a little hole. We’ve come a long way, no one actually gave us a chance at first, so it’s important that we get the next international out of the way soon and get a result."

The other Gary, Mr Breen, bemoaned the fact that what he saw as "one-way traffic" in the second half and extra time, didn’t yield a decisive goal in Ireland. At the other end, meanwhile, the nerve-trigger Irish offside trap foxed the quicksilver Spanish attack time and time again.

"It was a well-drilled effort, to be honest," Breen observed. "They’re fantastic players and their movement is frightening at times but once they got that early goal we seemed to weather the storm and we got on top of them after that."

Were the legs heavy in extra time? "They weren’t too bad actually. The momentum was just carrying us forward, waves and waves of attacks. We had shots fly past the post, their keeper making saves, it just wasn’t meant to be." And then, the dreaded penalties...

"It was just a case of saying to the lads, do your best, if anyone misses no one’s going to hold anything against you. At least they went up there and took the penalties. They were immense."

And then it ended, as it had begun in Niigata, with passionate acclamation from, probably, the best fans in the world for, certifiably, one of the best 16 teams in the world. And vice versa.

"We just wanted to say a thank you to them," said Breen. "They’ve come here to the other side of the world at massive expense, and their support has been fantastic throughout the campaign. It’s just a shame that it has to end tonight. I genuinely think the winners of this game had a very good chance of progressing further. And I think Spain will probably go on and win it now."