Sting in tail for world champions is ‘payback’ for 6-1, says Walters

Jonathan Walters has described Tuesday’s dramatic equaliser against Germany as payback for the humiliating 6-1 loss in Dublin two years before.

The Stoke City striker-cum-winger was one of only four players — Stephen Ward, John O’Shea and Aiden McGeady the others — who featured in games that are polar opposites on the football feelgood scale.

So much has changed since 2012. Giovanni Trapattoni has departed and the team has evolved with David Forde replacing Keiren Westwood in goal and others like Darren O’Dea, Keith Fahey and Simon Cox falling out of favour.

That was an Irish side gutted by injuries back then and one deep into the downward spiral that would see Trapattoni eventually make way for Martin O’Neill, but John O’Shea’s late intervention spoke clearly of a renewal and renewed belief.

“It’s the same group of lads,” said Walters when asked if maybe the side’s renowned character has been lost in the last qualifying campaign. “One-nil down, you’re always going to be fighting.

“It’s very difficult to do so but we’ve managed to do so today. We’ve had a few where we didn’t see the game out but at 1-0, you’re always in it. Poland beat them the other day.

“It’s a very difficult group. The win we got in Georgia, not many teams will get the points there. I’m sure that will show at the end of the campaign. The last group, we got beat last time we played Germany 6-1 at home. Bit of payback of there, really.”

This will stand as one of the great nights for many of those Irish players who played two nights ago. Not least Walters who has ploughed a career through unfashionable towns like Bolton, Hull, Crewe, Barnsley, Scunthorpe, Wrexham, Chester, Ipswich and Stoke.

“Nights like these are why you play. It’s unbelievable to come away to the world champions, score in the last minute and play the way we did. Everyone really worked hard. They were two polar opposites, Germany and Gibraltar, completely different games, but what a result.”

It isn’t a result that glosses over everything. Or shouldn’t be. Ireland showed next to nothing going forward until the last 15 minutes and could well have paid for their concentration on the defensive side of the game.

A weaker referee would surely have awarded Germany at least one penalty, wrongly or otherwise, although a German team not suffering from the effects of its summer success would have had no need for the intervention of any officials.

That said, it was a precious point earned without two of the side’s best players, in Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy, and with a number of square pegs hammered into round holes.

“It was just about keeping your shape,” said Walters who was rested for Saturday’s game against Gibraltar with Tuesday’s leg-sapping shift in mind. “We’ve all played football a long time, we all know what to do. We done it really. David Meyler at right back has made some really important blocks. Playing in front of him, you just have to keep talking to him, keep him going. And I’m not a natural right winger and he’s not a natural right back.

“But here we were doing it against the world champions. Well done to everyone involved, the players the staff, it’s a great result for us. The last kick of the game — it’s unbelievable really. I go back now and have a bit of bragging rights at club level now.”