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Shane Long saw little of the ball as Georgia enjoyed the lion's share of possession. Steven Paston
disappointing

Player ratings: How the Boys in Green fared against Georgia

Ireland’s 100% win record against Georgia came to an end with a poor performance in Tbilisi.

Darren Randolph: Came into the game with three clean sheets in six, one of which came against Georgia in Dublin. Will be disappointed to have let another slip by, but cannot be blamed for the goal. Few saves to make despite Georgia’s dominance. 6

Cyrus Christie: Curled in a brilliant cross to get the assist for Shane Duffy’s goal. A decent replacement in the absence of Seamus Coleman, but had a number of nervous moments as Georgia piled on the pressure. 6

Shane Duffy: Scored his first international goal with a brave and powerful header. Led the line for Ireland in defence in a backs against the wall performance featuring some last-ditch blocks, tackles, headers and clearances. 6

Ciaran Clark: Stood firm alongside Duffy and made some important clearances. Was kicked in the head by Glenn Whelan. Held on for a draw and lucky not to have conceded a second. 5

Stephen Ward: Riding high for Burnley but cannot seem to replicate the same form in the green jersey. Has nailed down the left back position as his own but looked average and put a handful of passes astray. 5

Glenn Whelan: Captained Ireland in the absence of Coleman but was very disappointing. Often static, he looked out of place partnered with Arter in central midfield. Brought off with 10 minutes to go.  4

Harry Arter: Also poor in the middle of the park as Georgia stroked the ball to and fro with ease and under no real pressure. Misplaced a number of passes in the first half and was reduced for the more energetic option of McGeady. 4

James McClean: Saw two excellent second-half chances brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Makaridze, one looking likely to be a late winner on 85 minutes. Full of energy and always first to press the man in possession. 7

Robbie Brady: Saw little of the ball as Georgia dominated with 75% possession. Saw a long-range effort well parried by Makaridze. Rarely got the ball at his feet in attack where he is most dangerous. 5

Jon Walters: Made his 50th appearance for Ireland. Many looked to Walters for another standout performance when it was needed most. Was largely anonymous in attack but always workmanlike. 5

Shane Long: Had to live off scraps and long balls aimed at the final third. Saw a brilliant header fly over the bar when Ireland could have regained the lead on the counter. 5

Subs: Aidan McGeady offered much more energy and creativity for the side when introduced for Harry Arter. But when presented with a break on the counter saw his shot blocked. Daryl Murphy made a cameo with ten minutes remaining, replacing Glenn Whelan, but failed to manage an effort on goal. 6

Martin O’Neill: Very well could go down as the worst Ireland performance during the O’Neill era. Midfield trio failed to stamp any authority on the game during a complete backs against the wall performance. Not even the introduction of Wes could have saved this bacon. Failed to build on a perfect start after taking the lead and lucky to escape with a point. 4

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