Jack Taylor walked away from his senior international debut wondering what might have been as the Republic of Ireland allowed the chance to make a statement slip from their grasp in Greece.
Taylor and his team-mates arrived in Athens buoyed by a 2-1 comeback victory over Finland in Helsinki which had belatedly kick-started their Nations League B2 campaign.
Greece, still basking in the glory of their 2-1 win over England, were always likely to be a different proposition, but Ireland were in the game and pushing for an equaliser until Caoimhin Kelleher's late error cost them their chance.
Asked if the last week had helped to fuel positivity within the camp after a difficult couple of years, Ipswich midfielder Taylor said: "I wasn’t in too many camps and was just looking at results. They weren’t too positive after the last few years.
"It was good to get the win on Thursday and we deserved to get a point there [against Greece]. The mistake at the end was a bit of a token.
"On another day, my chance goes in and we’d come out with a draw and a four-point window."
The chance Taylor was referring to was one of two which came his way after he had been introduced as a 57th-minute replacement for Evan Ferguson.
Keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos had earlier tipped away his header from a Josh Cullen cross when he got on the end of a Robbie Brady corner only to see his volley blocked.
Taylor said: "It was a bit gutting. The one after I think I should do better. Another day I think I get the goal."
At that point, Ireland, who had survived something of a battering before the break thanks to Kelleher’s brilliance, were trailing to Tasos Bakasetas’ deflected strike and pushing for an equaliser.
However, they were finally undone when the otherwise excellent Liverpool keeper presented the ball to substitute Petros Mantalos, who rounded him to slot into an empty net.
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It proved a bittersweet night at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium for 26-year-old Taylor, who has had to wait patiently for his chance.
He said: "I have been called up before, so I was ready to make my debut then. I am in the best shape of my career at the minute, I am really buzzing that it’s finally come. It was a long time coming."
Taylor will now return to his club along with international team-mates Dara O’Shea, Chiedozie Ogbene and Sammie Szmodics and hopes to replicate the form which persuaded Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson to throw him into the mix ahead of next month’s fixtures against the Finns and England.
He said: "The three lads coming in in the summer and making such an impact at our club, it’s great to see we are being noticed at our club for this team.
"We have sort of taken over Ipswich, which is a good thing. We are used to playing with each other and we can show that more in an Ireland shirt."
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