Baby joy consolation for Skrtels

THE celebrations didn’t all belong to the Russians in Zilina last night — just the football ones as the Skrtels prepare for a big family gathering on Merseyside.

As Arsenal striker Andrei Arshavin and his team-mates left for Moscow to finish the Euro 2012 job against Andorra, Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel was packing his bags for home.

Skrtel woke yesterday morning to the news his wife Barbora had given birth to their son Matthew, news which suggests perhaps that football isn’t always more important than life and death.

The famous Bill Shankly theory certainly won’t cut much ice when Skrtel returns to his Liverpool home this morning to meet and greet his son and heir, even if part of his heart will still be heavy after this defeat.

“I have great feelings about my baby but I am so disappointed that our hopes of European qualification are gone now,” said Skrtel outside the MKS Stadium last night.

“We did not deserve to win this match so we cannot complain. The game was always going to be about who got the first goal and Russia got it.

“We didn’t lose the group here. We lost it when we played Armenia at home after the Ireland game and lost that match 4-0.

“What is really annoying is that we played well that night in the first-half but didn’t score. Then they got four against us. That is why we are out.”

Skrtel got that much right. Slovakia have only scored six goals in their nine Euro 2012 qualifiers.