Ireland are no longer top of Group D but their four-point buffer from the rest of the pack remains.
A 0-0 draw in Dublin on Friday was billed before the game with Wales as a potentially positive result but now we’re only half way through the qualifying stage and Martin O’Neill must navigate all over again.
With trips to Austria and Serbia already completed and four points taken from them, the Irish might fancy the run in from here until October.
- Ireland v Austria (June 11)
- Georgia v Ireland (September 2)
- Ireland v Serbia (September 5)
- Ireland v Moldova (October 6)
- Wales v Ireland (October 9)
As it stands, the Irish are in control of their own destiny and can at least be targeting a playoff spot in second place. But it’s still the group’s top two seeds in Wales and Austria that are chasing them and Shane Long remembers too well November 2014 when everyone was ready and willing to write off the Republic’s Euro chances.
“I remember in the last qualifying campaign, Scotland beat us out at theirs and they celebrated like that was the result that was going to get them through to the Euros,” the Tipperary man recalled after the draw with Wales.
“We managed to turn it around so we know it’s still all to play for.
“We’ve got five more games to really kick on. We’ve put ourselves in a great position and it would be a shame not to take advantage. But, jeez, it’s going to be hard work.”
The fickle nature of being an Irish native is highlighted at every international break. We went to Vienna and won and we were ready to take on the world. Then, four months later, we showed Wales respect – probably too much respect – and it’s crisis lockdown, we’re not good enough and the country’s grass roots needs a redevelopment. That’s what happens.
Shane Long is a little more positive about the outlook so far.
“We’ve put in some good performances,” he said.
“Going to Austria and getting the win out there was really a good result and the draw in Serbia – getting that goal when we were 2-1 down… all them little points and little moments add up.
“We feel good. We know other teams are worried about playing against us as well because we are a threat. We need to keep going and keep believing.”
The striker was the first one on the scene during that horrendous Neil Taylor tackle that looks to have broken the leg of Seamus Coleman. Whilst Cyrus Christie’s classy words put it perfectly after the game, Long summed up how popular the Donegal man is.
“I was just trying to comfort him,” he said of his initial contact with the injured Coleman.
“Obviously he was in a lot of pain, it was a bad challenge and a bad injury. I was just trying to settle him and relax him.
“I think everybody loves Seamus. It’s hard to see when he goes down like that but I’m sure he’ll come back fitter and stronger.”
