More perspiration than inspiration

IN THE boiling post-match press conference room of the Republican Stadium in Yerevan, Giovanni Trapattoni literally and metaphorically wiped the sweat from his brow, having just seen his Irish team both squander chances and withstand considerable pressure before blissful deliverance was supplied by Keith Fahey’s right foot.

“I said it wouldn’t be easy,” he said. “Psychologically it was difficult, the weather was very hot and some of our players hadn’t played much for the clubs. So it was a very difficult game but I think that over 90 minutes, we deserved to win. Yes, we had work to do defensively but in the first half Robbie Keane also had two good chances to score.”

And, in the end, he was leaving with what he’d come for.