A clean sheet's positive but it was a really poor display

BOSS ADMITS PERFORMANCE WAS POOR

- MICHAEL SCULLY

HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON refused to sugarcoat Ireland's lacklustre effort in Luxembourg that soured his birthday celebrations.

The visitors’ performance in the scoreless draw bore the hallmarks of an end of season display with nothing on the line but, for the manager, the scoreless draw simply wasn't good enough.

Too few of the Ireland players rose above the torpid, scrappy nature of the contest.

With the World Cup qualifiers kicking off with a home game against Hungary in exactly three months time, followed by the away clash with Armenia three days later, this international window didn't end the way Hallgrimsson wanted after the encouraging 1-1 draw against Senegal in Dublin.