Kolarov torpedo holes World Cup hopes below waterline

Ireland’s World Cup hopes are hanging by a thread after Serbia ended the Republic’s unbeaten record last night at the Aviva to take firm control of Group D.

The Irish performance deserved more. Vastly improved on Saturday’s dismal display in Tbilisi, all it really lacked was a clinical finish — it’s the most critical thing of all — of the kind Aleksandar Kolarov provided as he put the Serbs ahead, largely against the run of play, shortly before the hour mark.

We’ve had plenty of ‘nice result, shame about the football’ occasions in Irish football in the past. This was the reverse and, as Martin O’Neill suffered his first competitive defeat as manager in Dublin and the team lost their unbeaten record in this World Cup campaign, it was a chastening reminder that, in the final analysis, it’s the story the scoreboard tells at the end of 90 minutes which really counts.