David Sneyd reports from AFAS Stadion, Alkmaar

MARK COYLE JOKED that he would have been the most hated man in Ireland if he had injured Troy Parrott, but the Shelbourne captain was deadly serious when he said Irish players need to show more belief when they get to play on the biggest stages of European football.

The Reds have just one point from four Uefa Conference League games after tonight’s 2-0 defeat away to AZ Alkmaar.

Following on from a pair of 1-0 losses to Shkendija and Drita before this clash, Shels require a minor miracle in their last two games – at home to Crystal Palace and away to Celje – if they are to stand any chance of making it into the knockout phase play-off stage

“You have to be 100% focused and as he’s seen there with the set piece, one lapse changes the whole game and then it’s a ricochet goal. There’s not much else you can do about that,” Coyle said.

“But I think overall it’s probably a feeling of disappointment too because I don’t think we put our best foot forward, especially going on the ball. I think we could have been more brave at times, 100%, yeah.

“We obviously know they’re a top team and we’re also who we deserve to be here and I think that’s part and parcel of it. To be honest with you, it’s nearly like an Irish thing or something. We nearly always undersell ourselves. Maybe it’s the way we’ve grown up, I don’t know.

“But there’s definitely an aspect where it’s also, as I said before, that will stand us next year and next year’s campaign and the games going forward. We really have to back ourselves more because we’re good enough. We’re here for a reason. We deserve to be here. And it’s about embracing that. And as I said, they’re putting their best foot forward and showing it.”

Coyle has featured more prominently as one of the three centre backs for Shels this season and he admitted Parrott was the best player he has faced so far.

Still, following on from that theme of Irish players grasping their opportunity when it comes, he was adamant Parrott’s heroics for the Boys in Green in recent weeks did not

“He’s a bit like a ghost, I would say, to be honest with you. The way he plays, he’s always off the back of you. And again, for me, coming in there, and it’s relatively new for me, that position, you know, it’s just this year. It’s huge learnings for me.

“It was a tough night at the office and I can see why he scored so many goals. But yeah, look, his movement and also the two tens, the rotations and all. They play at that tempo every week. If you’re playing at that tempo every week, I feel like most teams in the League of Ireland would adjust to it at some stage.

“It’s just that we’re not used to that and it takes a bit [of time]. But I thought tonight we dealt extremely well with him for large parts. He’s still got chances and that just shows the calibre of the player he is.

“I couldn’t wait to get out there and test myself against him, especially after everything he’s done for our country. But you’re also well aware if you hurt him, you’d be the most hated man in Ireland,” Coyle said with a laugh.

“But no, for us, for me, it’s about looking forward to that challenge. That’s what I’ve loved about these group stage games is coming up against them, calibre of players, and testing yourself against the best. For me, that’s what it’s about. That’s what this is about. For me, we actually could have done more But at the same time, I’m sure he’s in there saying it wasn’t an easy night for him as well.”

Shels boss Joey O’Brien backed up his captain’s assertion that his side hadn’t arrived just to make up the numbers and reflected on the disappointment of the campaign to date as they continue to go in search of their first goal.

It almost came in the 67th minute when Mipo Odubeko put substitute John Martin through on goal only for his control to let him down and AZ to create the first goal from a well-worked corner three minutes later.

“We weren’t here to get autographs, we were here to win the game and create problems and have a game plan that I thought the lads really stuck to. And as I said, when we got that chance, you’re hoping that we were going to take the chance and we didn’t. And I suppose that’s the disappointment,” he said.

“I think if you look back at the games, all the games, the chances we’ve had in the games, yeah, listen, we’ve missed big chances in all the four games and I suppose that’s an overriding disappointment.

“And I suppose at this level, for our lads, you realise that when you have a big chance and you don’t take it… I think it was a couple of minutes later, they go up and execute a set play and the level of quality on the set play, again, it’s a great learning for our lads to see at this level how serious it’s taken on set plays.”