Miller muddle may prove costly

IRELAND’S U21 team stand to lose the three points they gained against Albania last week because midfielder Liam Miller was ineligible to play.

The Republic’s manager Don Givens yesterday confirmed UEFA had informed Ireland of their embarrassing transgression in using a player who had accumulated two yellow card warnings in previous matches and so should have served a one-match ban.

He said a decision on whether any sanctions would be imposed would not be taken until they had investigated the issue to see whether they can mount any defence.

Givens said they had no record of one of the bookings at the FAI but suggested the error was more likely theirs.

“We have already apologised to UEFA and assured them we were not aware the player had received two bookings.

"We would never deliberately flout the rules, and until we investigate it fully we have no explanation how this could have occurred.”

Miller was one of Ireland’s top players in a win over Albania at Dalymount Park, their first in the tournament in their sixth match.

The booking the FAI had no record of had occurred when Ireland lost 2-3 to Switzerland last October.

Said Givens: “The lad himself has no recollection of that booking. It was a long time ago and none of us can

recollect it.

"There obviously has been some error along the way but what’s important now is our reaction to the error and we will take steps to ensure it does not happen again.”

In the normal course, notice of a booking is sent within days of the match by UEFA in a fax message to the player’s association.

That is followed up by an official letter confirming that the referee, in his report, recorded the booking.

It is up to the association to apply the rules at that point.

The incoming chief executive of the FAI Fran Rooney yesterday took steps to regularise the system of recording correspondence from UEFA and FIFA within the FAI offices at Merrion Square.

Givens would not speculate on what is likely to happen now, but unless the FAI can prove they never received

notification from UEFA they will be deducted the three points from the match win and the result will be recorded as a 3-0 success for Albania.

Meantime, Givens must plan for tonight’s match against Georgia in Kilkenny without Miller, although he confirmed the Glasgow Celtic youngster, who is also Ireland’s captain at this level, will remain with the squad.

Givens also has injury problems and goalkeeper Graham Stack has been withdrawn because of illness.

Stack will be replaced by Waterford’s goalkeeper Daniel Connor, of whom Givens said:

“He is in excellent form. He was not getting first team football at Peterborough and his confidence suffered. Now he is getting regular matches with Waterford, he is established their number one goalkeeper and his confidence is high.”

The team will be captained by Nottingham Forest’s John Thompson but his clubmate Andy Reid is out due to injury.

Givens said he would choose his replacement from Kevin O’Connor (Brentford), Graham Ward (Wolves), Keith Gilroy (Scarborough) or Wesley Hoolahan (Shelbourne).