Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill hailed his side’s spirit as they snatched a last-gasp Euro 2016 qualification draw with World Cup holders Germany in Gelsenkirchen.
Veteran defender John O’Shea, making his 100th international appearance, scored with virtually the last kick off the game to cancel out Toni Kroos' opener for Germany and give Ireland what may prove to be a crucial point.
Ireland were under the cosh for much of the game and only some fine saves by David Forde in the Irish goal and some last-ditch defending kept O’Neill’s men in the game, but the manager was delighted with how his side responded to going behind.
“They’re ecstatic, absolutely ecstatic, to come back from that was just fantastic really. It’s a couple of late goals we’ve scored and we’ve got some extra points on the board,” O’Neill said.
“They never gave up, the players, that’s the great thing about it. We talked about the spirit before, the spirit without ability of course is something else but there is a terrific will to keep going there in that side.
“We’ve come here to the home of the world champions and they might have one or two injuries but we were playing with a midfielder at right-back and with one or two players that don’t play regularly in their own sides. We fought and we fought and we kept going,” he added.
“We knew we were going to be without the ball for long periods of the game and our plan was to sit in, but at the same time we have to get out and close it down every single time to stop them having free shots at goal" - Martin O'Neill
“From their viewpoint it was a great goal they scored. I thought we could have closed it down a couple of times during the course of that play but nevertheless we kept going and it was just a great result.”
The Ireland manager admitted that his side struggled for parts of the game and they were often unable to put together anything more than one or two passes as Germany dominated the ball.
However, he was pleased how they stuck to their task and eventually got their rewards.
“We knew we were going to be without the ball for long periods of the game and our plan was to sit in, but at the same time we have to get out and close it down every single time to stop them having free shots at goal. Then if they push it wide we go into the penalty area and try to deal with that as best we can.
“At the same time we have to try and get our foot on the ball and that was hard at times tonight, really hard for us particularly in the first half. It was trying to clear our lines and then suddenly we didn’t really have anybody.
“But just when we felt as if we’ve maybe weathered the storm they scored the goal that changed our mindset again and we had to go and search for something. I don’t care if we get beaten two, three, four or five, we have to search for something in the game and we’ve come up big.”
O’Neill downplayed comparisons between this game and the Euro 2012 qualifier against Russia in Moscow when Richard Dunne had a starring role as Ireland claimed a crucial 0-0 draw but admitted that this result sets things up nicely for the November trip to Scotland.
"I'm just so pleased for the side, so pleased, they’ve put an awful lot of work into that. It’s a great point. We were playing away from home against the team that just a few months ago won the World Cup.
“That’s big for us, it’s a point on the board, it might be important for us but it keeps the confidence going. We’ve got seven points on the board, two away matches that we’ve played and now we go to Scotland hopefully in some confident mood again.”
