The manager of the Republic of Ireland, Stephen Kenny, has declared that "nothing is impossible" as he plans wins against the Netherlands and France in September's Euro 2024 qualifying matches.
With a 3-0 victory over Gibraltar on Monday night at the Aviva Stadium, Kenny's team finally made its Group B debut, helping to at least somewhat lessen the disappointment of Friday night's 2-1 loss in Greece.
If Ireland can't pull off a string of unexpected victories, their chances of landing one of the top two slots look bleak, but Kenny plans to do just that.
When asked what he wanted the players to know, he said, "It's just a seven-day window, it's a short window.
There is no denying that these two games are extremely difficult, but they are also highly exciting. Just make sure we're ready for them in advance. They're fantastic games.At the same time, we believe that nothing is impossible.
Obviously, we made life difficult for France at home. Although I am aware that things are different in Paris, I think both games will be thrilling for us.
Ireland pounded the visitors for 45 minutes, but they lacked the skill, speed, or cunning to break them down. Jamie McGrath had to be denied just before halftime thanks to Dayle Coleing's excellent reaction stop.
But when Celtic winger Mikey Johnston came on at halftime, the game transformed. He had already terrorized the Gibraltar defense three times when he ran on Will Smallbone's partially blocked free kick and scored his first goal in a senior international match.
Within seven minutes, Evan Ferguson expanded the lead, and in the final seconds of regulation, replacement Adam Idah eventually opened his Ireland account to secure the first points of the game at the third attempt.
When questioned about whether Johnston, whose four caps to date have all come from the bench, could have an impact for 90 minutes, Kenny responded, "He's been brilliant.
blogpay
