Mixed fortunes for Ireland as forwards deliver

Republic of Ireland 2 Slovakia 2: If Friday against Switzerland was a night when the defence showed way, here was a game where all Ireland’s better play came at the other end of the pitch, with the novel strike partnership of Shane Long and James McClean both getting on the score sheet — albeit from the penalty spot — while Wes Hoolahan once again showed how vital he is to the team’s attempts to play a more creative brand of football.

By contrast, two soft goals shipped meant it was not an evening for the defenders — especially the luckless Paul McShane — to celebrate, while for goalkeeper Rob Elliot, it was an occasion of sheer misery as, with Shay Given watching from the commentary box, he left the field on a stretcher with what appears to be a serious knee injury.

Appropriately enough, given the time that was in it, it was a case all changed, changed utterly for Ireland for last night’s game, with the notable exception of Long who, given Martin O’Neill’s striker drought, was always odds-on to start a second match in the space of a couple of days.