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Opinion

Player ratings: How the Boys in Green fared against Gibraltar

Ireland got Mick McCarthy’s tenure off to a less-than-satisfactory start with a 1-0 defeat of their opponents.

Darren Randolph

7Our Rating

They often say the sign of a good goalkeeper is one that can make a vital save despite having little to do for most of the game, and Randolph showed good concentration levels to prevent Roy Chipolina's header giving Gibraltar a shock lead early in the second half.

6

Seamus Coleman

6Our Rating

Played virtually as a right winger at times and got himself into some promising positions, but his final ball was invariably disappointing.

6

 

Shane Duffy

7Our Rating

Did pretty much everything that was asked of him and had a comfortable evening against a fairly toothless Gibraltan attack.

6

Richard Keogh

7Our Rating

Played through the pain barrier with a broken hand and barely put a foot wrong, though stiffer tests of his defensive ability will inevitably come down the line.

6

Enda Stevens

6Our Rating

Had little to do defensively and didn't do enough going forward, giving the ball away needlessly at times.

6

Jeff Hendrick

7Our Rating

Not quite back to his Euro 2016 best and made a few sloppy passes, but took his goal superbly, stepping up at the vital moment to ensure Mick McCarthy's reign gets off to a winning start.

6

 

Conor Hourihane

7Our Rating

Named man of the match by RTÉ, Hourihane passed the ball about confidently, having been afforded plenty of space by his opponents, while his delivery from dead balls was frequently excellent. Also had a hand in the goal.

6

Matt Doherty

6Our Rating

Showed some nice link-up play with Coleman at times, but didn't manage to replicate the superb form he's shown at Wolves, having started in an unfamiliar right-wing role. Replaced by Robbie Brady on 56 minutes.  

6

James McClean

5Our Rating

Showed a nice touch in the build up to the goal, but otherwise offered little in attack and gave away a couple of needless free kicks that eventually resulted in him receiving a yellow card.

6

Sean Maguire

5Our Rating

Made one clever pass to Coleman in the first half that almost resulted in a goal, but his hold-up play was often sub-par and he will be frustrated at failing to score his first international goal in what looked like an ideal opportunity to stake his claim for a more regular place in the side.

6

 

David McGoldrick

6Our Rating

Tried to link-up play but struggled at times amid difficult conditions, but did superbly to create the goal at the vital moment.

6

Mick McCarthy

6Our Rating

Not the assured start to his tenure that McCarthy would have been hoping for. The 4-4-2 formation was not totally convincing as a viable long-term plan, while he still doesn't appear to have figured out how best to accommodate Matt Doherty and Seamus Coleman in the same team.   

6

Subs: Robbie Brady injected a bit more creativity into Ireland’s attacks while Harry Arter did everything asked of him to help see the game out. 6

Murray Kinsella and Andy Dunne dissect Ireland’s disappointing Six Nations campaign, and discuss the pros and cons of rugby’s new law proposals in the latest episode of The42 Rugby Weekly:


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