Long road remains to France ’16

Euro 2016 Qualifier Group D

A late equaliser lifted the mood, but what amounts to a wounding blow to Ireland’s Euro ambitions means that nothing less than three points here against Scotland in June will suffice if Martin O’Neill’s team are to retain a chance of even slipping into France through the back door of a third-place play-off.

As things stand, the Irish find themselves adrift in fourth place in Group D, not so much in the chasing pack as chasing the pack.