The Long and the short of it

IF only every international friendly were as open and entertaining as last night’s then it wouldn’t be quite so easy to row in with Alex Ferguson, who spoke for most club bosses the world over this week when labelling the concept a ‘waste of time’.

The Manchester United manager clearly found many an assenting voice in these parts this week judging by the desert of empty seats yet again at the Aviva Stadium but profits on such occasions can be recorded by other means.

All eyes may have been on James McCarthy, who was afforded a start in the hole behind Shane Long, but it was the lone striker who proceeded to capture the imagination with his 23rd goal and all-round performance in what is a breakthrough season.