We’ve made a lovely habit out of grabbing late goals.
One of the most pleasing aspects of Martin O’Neill’s tenure has been the never-say-die attitude of his squad.
For so many years, Ireland used to concede late equalisers and matchwinners. Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, basically if it ended with ‘a’ we conceded a late strike to them.
That has all changed since O’Neill took charge but it may be more to do with his assistant.
Former Ireland striker Stephen Elliott believes he has it all figured out – there’s a certain Corkman waiting back in the changing room.
Asked for his take on Ireland’s late goals against Georgia [Aiden McGeady], Germany [John O’Shea], Poland [Shane Long] and Robbie Brady’s 85th minute winner against Italy, Elliott told Off The Ball:
“I played under Roy when he first arrived at Sunderland and you wouldn’t believe the amount of times we got late equalisers or late winners when we got promoted with him.
“It’s no coincidence that we’re scoring late goals… You look at him at the side of the pitch and you think ‘I don’t want to come off that pitch and lose’. Maybe it is that [sense] of unknown.”
Elliott, who was capped nine times for Ireland, continued, “You don’t feel it automatically but maybe you are thinking ‘Oh I don’t want to go into this dressing room with him flipping off.
“He’s obviously one of the biggest names in football and, for me growing up, like so many Irish footballers, he was a hero of mine… You don’t want to let him down.”
“Maybe that’s something to do with it,” he concluded, “the fear factor.”
