Trap hails ‘golden point’

AFTER a game which pretty much defined the concept of backs to the wall, Giovanni Trapattoni was in tell-it-like-it-is mood in his post-match press conference in the Luzhniki Stadium.

“I think it’s impossible not to recognise that we have been lucky in this 90 minutes,” he began. “Physically they were superior to us, and it was obvious that many of them have been playing together at their clubs for a while, whereas this early in the season some of our players are still missing that rhythm that you get from playing regularly.

“But the determination and application of our senior players like Dunne, Duff, Andrews and McGeady inspired the younger players and it was this balance which gave us what I like to call a golden point.”

And, already, relief at the team’s great escape was transforming itself into optimism for Trapattoni.

“With this result we can look at the future with confidence,” he said. “We’ve overcome a big obstacle tonight and we go into our final two games knowing we are still playing for qualification.”

Inevitably, the questions from the floor brought him back to the almost superhuman performance of Richard Dunne.

“He was fantastic. Thank God we have Richard in this game. He sacrificed himself because he went back on the pitch with four stitches. He knew we needed him there. Also Shay Given made a number of vital saves.”

Despite acknowledging Russia’s superiority, Trapattoni said he always felt that extending Ireland’s run to seven clean sheets was possible.

“I always had hope and it paid off,” he said. “For example, the support that Aiden McGeady and Damien Duff gave to Stephen Kelly and Stephen Ward was immense and — considering Kelly plays very little for his club and Ward was making only his second competitive appearance — that was very important on the night.”

Asked to analyse the group — before Slovakia’s home defeat to Armenia last night — the manager continued: “There are two games to go, and Russia have a very difficult game against Slovakia ahead. There are no certain results and no team is unbeatable. We play our next two games for a win — and with six points I feel we can believe in qualification.”

Trapattoni said that the referee had given Ireland permission to send Richard Dunne back into action with a hand-written number on his back — after his original shirt was soaked in blood — a decision he felt was a favourable break which summed up things for Ireland on the night.

“I felt St Patrick was looking down on us,” he concluded with a smile.

Russia’s failure to put Ireland to the sword left Dick Advocaat once again having to defend himself, a chorus of boos at the final whistle having already warned him that, however impressive the performance, a win was what was really craved.

“I am unhappy with result,” he admitted. “I thought Russia played an excellent game, controlled the match for 90 minutes and created seven or eight chances, so I can only give my players applause tonight. I can’t say any negative things except that we didn’t score.”

The Dutchman perhaps found himself in a minority of one, however, when it came to the subject of whether Dunne was the reason Russia didn’t get their breakthrough.

“No, not Dunne,” he said. “I think it was our own players because they didn’t take their chances.”

In fact, he was more inclined to speak in terms of the supernatural rather than the superhuman.

“You don’t always get what you deserve,” he smiled, “and, tonight, God was not on our side.”