Ireland no match for slick Germans

Republic of Ireland 0 Germany 4

Shackling a visiting side that featured two players with first-team experience at Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund was always going to be a tough task for the Irish in this UEFA qualifier and what was the heaviest defeat of Noel King’s three-year tenure.

The hosts made a bright start, with Aidan O’Brien up front causing Antonio Rudiger plenty of problems, but that optimism was punctured on 12 minutes in Germany’s first attack.

There appeared little danger when Moritz Lietner latched onto Shane Duffy’s clearance from a Nico Shulz cross 30 yards out. But the Borussia Dortmund midfielder, on loan at VFB Stuttgart, completely caught Ireland goalkeeper Aaron McCarey out with a thunderous strike that flew beneath his grasp and into the net.

Despite that, Ireland responded well and should have reflected their best spell of the game with an equaliser.

Firstly, on 16 minutes, O’Brien glanced his free header wide following a pinpoint corner by Forde.

Then a gilt-edged opening was squandered four minutes later after the German defence was carved open — Samir Carruthers the guilty party.

Such missed chances proved costly, as Vollan — the German captain, scored twice in the space of a minute midway through the half.

Ireland’s misery was compounded after the break when Carruthers was sent off for a lunge on substitute Leonardo Bittencourt and the visitors wrapped things up six minutes from time with substitute Phillip Hoffman sealing the win.

IRELAND: A McCarey (Wolves); M Harriman (S Duffy (Everton), A O’Connor (Blackburn), S McGinty (Sheff. Utd); M Doherty (Wolves), C Reilly (Birmingham); S Murray (Watford), S Carruthers (MK Dons), A Forde (Wolves); A O’Brien (Millwall). Subs: C Smith (Watford) for Forde (46), J Grealish (Aston Villa) for Reilly (77), G Burke (Shrewsbury) for O’Brien (82)

GERMANY: M Ter Stegen (B Mönchengladbach); E Durm (B Dortmund), A Rudiger (VFB Stuttgart), S Mustafi (Sampdoria), M Vitzthum (Karlsruher

SC); M Lietner (VFB Stuttgart), A Younes (B Mönchengladbach), L Goretzka (Shalke 04); J Hofmann (B Dortmund), K Volland (TSG 1899

Hoffenheim), N Schulz (Hertha Berlin).

Subs: L Bittencourt (Hannover 96) for Hofmann (46), P Hoffman (FC Ingolstadt) for Younes (66), R Knoche (Wolfsburg) for Lietner (74)

Referee: D Vuckov (CRO).