Regrets? More than a few

THE last 48 hours have been a tale of two pictures of Ireland’s World Cup ambitions. The small picture highlights the disappointment of two points dropped in the final minute of the game against Israel on Saturday.

But the bigger picture offers a different perspective. In the wake of the scoreless draw between France and Switzerland in Paris, the result in Tel Aviv looks more like one away point gained, as things continues to stay tight at the top of Group 4.

Back in Dublin after a long haul made that bit longer by the drama of Milo Corcoran's illness just before the Irish team left Tel Aviv, manager Brian Kerr happy to hear that the FAI President had been given the all-clear in medical tests was certainly accentuating the positive.