Ireland v. Cyprus

[waider]

Ireland 1, Cyprus 0, but we so didn't deserve it. A few suggestions for the Irish team for the match against Switzerland on Wednesday night:

• When you've beaten all of their defence with a quick break, do something with the ball. Don't pass it back up the field or play with it until they've managed to get their defence in place.
• You've practiced set pieces like corners in training. Why not use those set pieces in the game?
• Don't send a high ball to a guy who's too short to reach it.
• Don't pass the ball back just because you're faced with opposition players. Having possession is fine, but not much use at the wrong end of the pitch.
• Try looking before kicking. Especially when attempting clearances. It's not a clearance if you drop the ball right on the opposing striker's feet.

I've low expectations for the Swiss match, since we looked like the lesser team tonight against a side that's not exactly highly ranked. Mostly I'll be surprised if we're even in with a chance at the play-offs, never mind actually getting through them.