SÉAMUS COLEMAN IS LOOKING FORWARD to next month’s Euro 2016 qualifying play-offs.
After last night’s 2-1 defeat to Poland in Warsaw, the Republic of Ireland face into the play-offs in November.
Martin O’Neill’s team had gone to Poland in buoyant mood following Thursday night’s magnificent 1-0 win over Germany in Dublin. Shane Long’s 70th minute bullet that sank the World Champions sent Irish fans to Warsaw hoping for automatic qualification.
However, goals by Grzegorz Krychowiak and Robert Lewandowski sends them into the play-offs.
Jonathan Walters had leveled from a penalty after Krychowiak shot the Poles ahead, but lethal Lewandowski’s 15th strike in 447 minutes of action fired Poland into the finals next summer.
“We’re all disappointed after doing so well against Germany,” Coleman said.
“We came here full of confidence, but we let oursleves down a bit.
“We are disappointed with the goals that we conceded, but we have got to get going again.
“We have a big month and we have to pick ourselves up for. There wre periods in the group that we’d have taken the play-offs, so we have to look at the positives.”
Ireland had John O’Shea sent off late on for a secod bookable offence that means he’ll miss the opening leg of the play-offs, while Walters will also sit out because of a suspension after he picked up a yellow card at the Narodowy Stadium.
Coleman had missed Thursday’s win over Germany through a hamstring injury, but was back on duty last night and the Everton full-back can’t wait for the play-offs.
“We won’t fear anyone in the play-offs after beating the World champions Germany on Thursday,” the Killybegs man said.
“It’ll be hard for any team that’s drawn against us. We’ll sit back and look forward to the draw, and hopefully have a positive month ahead.”
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