Irish silver lining hard to find but Bazunu was it

It brought back memories of Shay Given’s debut – also aged 19 – in 1996.

Ireland's Gavin Bazunu and Dara O'Shea dejected at the end of the game

At a time when everyone is miserable enough and struggling to cope with the interminable impact of pandemic, perhaps it’s best to desperately to search for a silver lining in the Republic’s depressing performance against lowly Luxembourg; but sadly, it isn’t easy.

The embarrassing defeat undoubtedly heaps pressure on manager Stephen Kenny, still without a win in his first 10 games in charge, and there was a dismal lack of creativity and belief at a hauntingly quiet Aviva Stadium, even against a side ranked 98th in the world.