HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON reckons his team has come so far — despite no VAR to stop Ismaila Sarr.
Kasey McAteer scooped the player-of-the-match award after he scored his first international goal.
For a long time it looked as though it would be the winner but Sarr pegged Ireland back despite Cheikh Sabaly blocking Caoimhín Kelleher’s view in an offside position.
Hallgrimsson said: “VAR probably would have given offside but we knew VAR was not in the house so we cannot complain. The referees did a good job, there was a really good flow.”
But he was even happier with the performance of his team.
He said: “Our collective defence was good. We must recognise this is a world-class team, unbeaten in 21 games now, 19 on the Fifa ranking.
“At times when we were defending without the ball we made them look quite average.
“I’m mostly happy that they didn’t create a whole lot of scoring chances. Caoimhín made one or two good saves but apart from that I don’t think he needed to do too much and that is pleasing.
“I think our confidence is growing. The decisions at this level need to be quick. You need to be quick in deciding what to do and act quickly. If you are too late you are always punished.
“Let’s be honest, we are not one of the best teams in the world, and this is how we need to play against teams that will dominate possession.
“And we need to wait for our chances and take them when they come.
“It is a similar set-up in September playing the stronger team at home and then flying away to Luxembourg, like Hungary at home and then away to Armenia.
“So it is good preparation for September.
“That is confidence for me, to be able to play good teams without possession and doing that for longer periods of time.
“But again, we are conceding goals from crosses too many times and we were too passive in the cross. We didn’t attack the ball when the cross came and it has happened before. That is a slight confidence thing.”
He was chuffed with McAteer’s display.
The boss said: “He has got a run for Leicester at the end of the season so you can see his progress and he brought that now into the national team.
“That is always the answer you would like to have when you try out new players.
“It was a really good first start for him. He is a confident player on the ball. He has speed, good dribbling technique and if we can isolate him one-on-one that is his strength. He is just a clever footballer with a good footballing brain.”
