Reid keen to right wrongs of Tel Aviv

Republic of Ireland winger Andy Reid is adamant lessons have been learned as boss Brian Kerr’s side prepare to exorcise their demons against Israel on Saturday.

Many of the Irish players still appear to be smarting from the trip to Tel Aviv at the end of March ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifier at Lansdowne Road.

On that occasion Ireland appeared destined to take all three points as they went into the dying moments of the game holding onto a fourth-minute lead afforded them by Clinton Morrison.

But just two seconds into injury time, Abas Suan drilled an inch-perfect long-range drive beyond Shay Given, and with it two precious points were lost.

Now there is talk of revenge, and a determination to put matters right, particularly if Ireland are to reach the finals in Germany next summer.

“At the end of games you need to defend properly, but they scored in the last minute and it was tough on us,” recalled Reid, who was left on the bench in Tel Aviv as Kerr opted for a conservative approach.

“But we will be making sure that they do not do it again.”

With a trip to the Faroe Islands to follow on Wednesday, six points are seen as a must if Kerr and his squad are to avoid heartache come the latter games in the campaign.

“With every game we play to try and get a win, and with the two games coming up it is going to be no different,” insisted Reid, who maintains the fitness of the players cannot be called into question, despite these two games at the tail end of the campaign.

The majority of Kerr’s squad were given at least 45 minutes in Sunday’s testimonial for Celtic star Jackie McNamara at Parkhead, providing them with an ideal warm-up.

“For World Cup qualifiers, you are on such an adrenaline buzz anyway because they are big games, so I do not think fitness will be a problem at all to be honest,” added Reid.

“I think it was certainly good the lads got a run-out on Sunday. Everybody benefited from it and got the necessary amount of football.

“Brian Kerr looked at it and saw how much time people needed and he gave it to them accordingly.”

After being given the day off yesterday, the players will reconvene in Dublin today when four fresh faces are expected to join up with the squad.

However, Manchester United’s John O’Shea faces a mental hurdle following the death of his grandmother on Saturday, as does Ian Harte after suffering the pain of relegation for a second-successive season, this time with Spanish side Levante on Sunday a year on from his Leeds heartache.

Steve Finnan is also due to report providing he has recovered from a thigh injury which forced him off at half-time of Liverpool’s momentous Champions League win over AC Milan last Wednesday, as is Leicester’s Alan Maybury who has been struggling with a back injury.