Stephen Kenny turns attention to Greek mission

Monday night, for everyone to see, was evidence of an Ireland team imposing a gameplan that could have eked out a point.

ONTO THE NEXT: Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Suppress France’s prime menace and another will pop up to inflict the damage. Ireland joined England in an exclusive pocket of two sides that succeeded in denying Kylian Mbappé a shot on goal across the last 61 games he’s played more than 45 minutes in for club or country.

That statistic, furnished by Limerick man Andrew Cunneen, was one of the several positives Ireland could take in Monday's defeat, even if this felt like another moral one.