2018 World Cup Qualifying Group D: Moldova v Republic of Ireland (tomorrow, Stadionul Zimbru, Chisinau, 7.45pm Irish time)
THE mixed zone emptied quite quickly on Thursday night. It’s the place where journalists hang over barriers in their designated sections – broadcast reporters, daily newspaper reporters, Sunday newspaper reporters – in the hope that players will stop for a post-match interview.
But from an early stage the signs weren’t good.
One by one, the Republic of Ireland players traipsed out to the team bus, avoiding eye contact and reporters’ desperate pleas for a "quick word".
The performance against Georgia - a 1-0 win - was so desperate that it probably rendered the Irish players speechless.
Jonathan Walters, however, did stop and told us what we already knew.
“Look, I think we all know we were pretty poor first half, especially. It was very flat. I don’t know why and we had a right go at each other at half-time and the manager said a few words and I thought we were much better in the second half.”
Asked to expand on what was actually said in the dressing room at the interval, Walters replied: “It’s in the dressing room so I wouldn’t’ say.”
“[But] It needs to be done…We all know it wasn’t good enough but we went out and made amends and got the three points. That’s the most important thing. We could have been sitting here with a draw or a defeat and it would have been pretty dismal.”
The Stoke City attacker added: “We’ve got the three points and we move on to Moldova and I think if we come out of the week with six points out of the two games that’s the most important thing.”
Walters toiled with little reward in the Irish attack but managed to set up a couple of late chances for James McClean.
For long periods the service to Ireland’s front men Walters and Shane Long was abysmal. High balls were hoisted up in their general direction while Georgia were the ones playing all the football.
“That’s part and parcel of it sometimes,” Walters added.
“You’ve got to deal with that. Sometimes you’ve to make bad balls good balls. In the second half, Shane got a lot of balls down the channels and did pretty well, held it up, got it back in the box.
“And James was desperately unlucky, just off-side with one and the one he’s hit the bar with – we could have been sitting here with a 2-0 or 3-0 but it’s a 1-0 and three points is the most important thing.”
With only two days’ rest and a three-and-a-half hour flight to reach the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, Ireland’s resources are significantly stretched for their third 2018 World Cup qualifier in Group D tomorrow night.
“It’s a quick turnaround but it’s a quick turnaround for Moldova too, so it’s the same for them," said Walters, who is expected to win his 45th cap tomorrow night.
“We’ll just be recovering now and going again. We’ve got a big squad. I don’t know if Robbie [Brady] will be involved after his [head] injury and Jeff [Hendrick] is suspended but we’ve got plenty of players to come in and fill the void…
“Six points is a must. These are tricky games but obviously the other games are important; it was probably a good result between Austria and Wales, 2-2. But we hope to get maximum points come Sunday.
“I don’t think qualification is ever straightforward,” he added. “You look at the last qualifying campaign. There are going to be ups and downs and twists and turns as it proved the last time. Hopefully we’ll get lots of positive results and keep ourselves right up there.”
