BEWARE THE SIDES OF MARCH

Ex-Ireland star Carr urges caution ahead of play-off

- BY MARK MCCADDEN

STEPHEN CARR says he is fielding calls from pals asking him to sort them out for tickets against Denmark next March.

The former Ireland defender can barely believe the turnaround in confidence and has to remind people that there is still a huge job to be done before we can think about a World Cup playoff decider in Dublin, with a semifinal away to Czechia on March 26.

But he reckons people are already lining up at their local Credit Unions to apply for loans for next summer's finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

A pair of stunning wins at home to Portugal and away to Hungary last month fired Heimir Hallgrímsson's side into a playoff spot that seemed so far away ahead of the recent international window.

The scenes after Troy Parrott's majestic hat-trick in Budapest were reminiscent of the good old days, as long-suffering fans partied in pubs and living rooms around the country.

Parrott's heroics along with one of the more favourable outcomes in the playoff draw have also led to a U-turn in confidence that Ireland can be at next summer's finals.

However Carr, who helped Ireland qualify for their last World Cup in 2002 but missed out on the tournament through injury, has a warning for anyone getting too far ahead of themselves.

"It's been a rollercoaster," he said of the qualification campaign. "I thought we'd get a result against Portugal but did I think we'd end up getting to the playoffs?