Gus Poyet on point as Greece deliver knockout blow to Ireland

The manager called for a high-intensity performance from his side before the game, but Ireland bowed out of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a whimper, as Greece made it two from two against the boys in green with a comprehensive 2-0 victory at Lansdowne Road on Friday night.

Stephen Kenny sent his side out to right the wrongs of Athens from the summer defeat to Gus Poyet's side, but in reality, the travelling Greeks just emphasised the fact that they are a better team than this current Irish crop, as they maintain their push to edge the Dutch for an automatic place at next summer’s tournament.

A whole host of pre-match permutations that could have seen Ireland remain relevant all the way to the final round of games in November, but it was only the French who came good with the required result, beating the Dutch 2-1 in the other Group B encounter.

The defeat leaves Ireland cast adrift of the top three and now face into a wooden spoon encounter against the group’s whipping boys, Gibraltar, on Monday evening on the Algarve coast.

A new formation for the arrival of Greece as Ireland put out a four-man defence to thwart the three in the visitors’ attack, and it all started quite well in the opening exchanges as Will Smallbone tested the keeper after three minutes, while Evan Ferguson struck the post after four.

But soon after, Greece started to give and go, pass and move, and ten minutes into the contest, they were looking very comfortable pushing on, and then having the confidence to press Ireland high up the pitch.

Surprisingly, it took Greece a full 17 minutes before they thought of testing the keeper from distance, and when captain Tasos Bakasetas tried an audacious effort from out near the right touchline, it was