Fortress Lansdowne falls

IT WASN’T just the Swiss who came to Lansdowne Road in a defensive frame of mind.

Struggling to find the right note in a media build-up to this match marked by such undiluted pessimism, Mick McCarthy, the FAI and the players all felt the need to fight a grimly determined rearguard action ahead of kick-off.

As they battled their way through the criticism, FAI boss Brendan Menton had spent his time defending his clearly unsettled and besieged manager, the manager spoke up on behalf of much-maligned defender Gary Breen and the players all rallied to their boss's cause.