McCarthy glad of reality check

The Republic of Ireland will today be carried on a wave of emotion across to the Far East - despite Nigeria gatecrashing the farewell party for Mick McCarthy’s boys.

The rousing reception from a passionate 43,000 Lansdowne Road crowd as McCarthy and his 23-man squad performed a lap of honour, masked the fact those same supporters had just witnessed their side’s two-year unbeaten home record come to an end.

After nine wins and two draws at the famous old venue since May 2000, including a trio of friendly victories this year, the expected bon voyage to the World Cup finals failed to materialise as Nigeria refused to read the script and claimed a 2-1 win.

McCarthy and his players will this morning set off on a marathon three-flight trip to the holiday island of Saipan for a week-long sojourn which will initially see them lick their wounds before embarking on the job at hand.

If they needed any help in overcoming a defeat which McCarthy believes will bring his players ‘‘back into reality’’ then the sea of green and the cacophony of noise which greeted their departure at the final whistle will surely stand them in good stead.

Wimbledon defender Kenny Cunningham was understandably disappointed to lose a game many thought was Ireland’s for the taking, and was the 100th to be played at Lansdowne Road.

But Cunningham put it into perspective as he said: ‘‘We knew we were up against a very good side in Nigeria, so it was an excellent friendly and good preparation for us ahead of our opening group game against Cameroon (on June 1).

‘‘They didn’t show us anything we didn’t expect. They are physically strong, quick all over the pitch, yet slow, patient and methodical in their build-up. They also have a real cutting edge to their play in the final third. So it was a useful exercise.

‘‘We didn’t just want to go through the motions, and as some of the lads haven’t had a game for a few weeks, I think it was important there was a competitive edge to the match as well - and that was certainly the case.

‘‘Although we didn’t want to head off on a losing note, we’ll enjoy the next two weeks because it will all be part of the World Cup experience.

‘‘I’ll just be glad when all the travelling is out of the way because it’s a little bit daunting, but we’re looking forward to getting to our base and once we’re holed up in our hotel in Saipan, then we can properly prepare for the competition.

‘‘It’s a whole new experience for us, so I think we’re going into it with an open mind, although we’re all determined to enjoy it and to do as best as we can for ourselves and the supporters.

‘‘The reaction we got from the fans after the game was very emotional. There was a lot of genuine emotion on the pitch, so we will take that with us to Japan.’’

Goals from Julius Aghahowa, the 19-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk striker dubbed ’the Michael Owen of Nigerian football’, and Crewe defender Efe Sodje brought about the Republic’s downfall.

Steven Reid, only called into the squad on Wednesday at the expense of the injured Mark Kennedy, pulled one back after coming on as a sub on the hour, a goal which proved to be the 100th of McCarthy’s six-year reign.

But it was not enough to prevent Ireland from departing on a low note, one which McCarthy reckons will serve as a wake-up call as he said: ‘‘This has given us a lot to think about.

‘‘I joked about losing this game - and we didn’t mean to lose it - to rein a few people in on the expectation level because maybe things had gone a bit easy for us here.

‘‘We turned up, played well, won, and everybody thinks we’re great guys. So maybe this result is what we need to jerk us back into reality.’’