Kilbane happy with a draw

Former Republic of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane believes a draw against Scotland on Friday will be enough to keep Martin O’Neill’s men on course for Euro 2016 qualification.

The Irish are currently joint-top with Poland on seven points in Group D and Kilbane one point in Glasgow would still leave them primed for qualification.

“If we don’t win the game we are still in a fine position. But we do have enough about us to go and win the game and I would be quite positive. We have two of our best performers in Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy back. There will be a bit of needle and a bit of pressure on James and of course Aiden McGeady but I think we are in good shape at the moment,” he said.

Kilbane was capped on 110 times for the Republic, played in one World Cup in South Korea and Japan in 2002 but never featured in the European Championships finals.

Kilbane feels that there is a great excitement back in Irish football for the first time since the disastrous Euro 2012 finals.

“It is the first time for years we have had a real buzz for four or five weeks before a match. The results the players have got in the last few games dictates the buzz that is around the place so I am delighted and I am really looking forward to the game on Friday night,” he continued. “I think with the game against Germany, if we had got beaten we would have been under serious pressure because of the way Scotland have been performing. They have produced the best level of football out of everyone in the group, and I think with both teams playing so well it is set up to be an absolute classic,” he said.