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Scotland manager Steve Clarke hailed the character and depth in his squad following their sensational late Euro 2024 qualifying comeback in Oslo. Clarke’s men stunned Norway with an unlikely turnaround as goals from Lyndon Dykes and substitute Kenny McLean in the final four minutes of normal time earned the Group A leaders a 2-1 victory. McLean was one of three changes Clarke made in the 79th minute and it proved just in time after Scotland struggled to pose a threat and fell behind to Erling Haaland’s 61st-minute penalty after the striker went down when Ryan Porteous got hold of his shirt. With Spain not playing, Scotland extended their lead at the top of Group A and moved eight points ahead of third seeds Norway. Clarke said: “I was pleased with the performance, we were disciplined and passed it quite well at times. “Obviously, you have got to soak up a lot of pressure against a good Norwegian team. And we never stopped believing. We keep going to the end and got our rewards. “It says a lot about the character, the spirit, the quality from the bench. One of the things I keep banging on about with this group of players, the quality we have got, they want to do well for their country. “And when I turn to the bench and I know I need to make changes to freshen it up, I am putting top-quality players on the pitch. “It was just about getting the timing right. After losing the goal, I felt it was better just to stay in the fight for a little bit to make sure the game didn’t run away from us. “After that we had to chase the game, it was pretty logical – you are going to take off a defender and push John McGinn a little bit further forward. “We brought Kenny to the game, Billy Gilmour to the game, brought Stuart Armstrong to the game, fresh legs to try and get forward and they were involved in most of the best things towards the end of the game. “Even Dominic (Hyam) comes on at the end and sticks his head on a couple. Congratulations to Dominic, first cap, not a bad place to do it, not a bad score.” Scotland’s win already puts them in a strong position with a perfect record ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Georgia, which will mark the halfway point in the campaign. Clarke said: “If we want to qualify for major tournaments, you know you have to go away from home against good teams and pick up points. This is three points which is big but we have to go again. “They are all in there recovering in an ice bath and we have to make sure we get three points on Tuesday to capitalise. It sets us up nicely for Tuesday, I am not looking beyond that.” Porteous is suspended for Tuesday after picking up a yellow card but Kieran Tierney could feature despite hobbling off, not long after the opener. When asked how the Arsenal defender was, Clarke said: “Tired. Just tired. He didn’t join us for the training camp. Not released by his club. “He joined us at the start of this week and felt a bit of tightness in his quad so we just protected him all week. “To get a good hour out of the lad was fantastic and shows that everybody is prepared to put their body on the line. And then we are bringing on Liam Cooper who is a top-quality defender.” Norway manager Stale Solbakken – whose side were left bottom of the group – bemoaned the turning point of the game when his defender’s interception fell for Dykes to nudge home. “It was an accident for Leo Ostigrad. I think it was cramp in both legs at the same time,” he said. “That’s how it is, we can’t blame him for that. I will have to take the blame for not substituting him if it was like that. “We are in a very difficult position.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Dejan Kulusevski’s loan spell at Tottenham turned into permanent deal Usman Khawaja’s first ton in England ‘a bit more emotional’ after crowd taunts Frustrated Stuart Broad blames costly no-ball on ‘pushing a little bit too hard’

Dejan Kulusevski has completed a permanent transfer to Tottenham from Juventus. The Sweden international arrived in north London on an 18-month loan in January 2022 and has been influential during what has been a difficult period for Spurs. He scored and registered an assist on his first start, a 3-2 victory against Manchester City at the Etihad in February last year, and has gone on to net seven goals in 57 appearances for the club. The initial loan deal included an option for Spurs to make a deal for the 23-year-old permanent for a reported £29.9million if certain conditions were met. His performances in the Premier League during 2022 were recognised with him receiving the award for best Swedish male player for the year. Prior to joining Tottenham, he played 55 times in Serie A for Juventus whom he joined from his first club Atalanta following a loan spell at Parma. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Kenny McLean scored a dramatic 89th-minute winner for Scotland in Norway as the visitors turned their Euro 2024 qualifier on its head with two goals in as many minutes. Scotland were trailing to Erling Haaland’s 61st-minute penalty and had barely posed a threat before Lyndon Dykes capitalised on some hesitancy in the Norwegian defence to nudge the ball home after John McGinn’s attempted through ball had been intercepted. The Group A leaders soon ensured they continued their perfect start to the campaign when Dykes laid McGinn’s pass back to substitute McLean, who curled a low shot just inside the far post. The visitors wore black armbands in memory of Gordon McQueen, who scored his fifth and final international goal in a 4-0 win in the same stadium in 1979 on the previous occasion the teams met in a European Championship qualifier. And they provided a fitting tribute to the 30-times capped centre-back with a sensational comeback victory. Jack Hendry was handed possibly the most difficult task in world football at the moment when he was drafted in to play at the heart of a back three tasked with stopping Haaland. The Club Brugge defender was the only change to the team that beat Spain in March after Grant Hanley dropped out with a serious Achilles injury. The best chance of the first half fell to Norway forward Alexander Sorloth, who sent a free header from eight yards straight at Angus Gunn. Scotland struggled to retain possession in the opening 20 minutes before settling down somewhat. Andy Robertson produced two good runs and crosses but they did not lead to anything and McGinn was closed down quickly after getting a sight of goal following Ryan Christie’s cross. Steve Clarke’s side were employing a flat back five out of possession and trying to keep a high line. The only time Haaland got the ball in a decent position in the first half, Callum McGregor quickly tracked back to make a penalty-box tackle. The striker might have had a far better chance if he had not been hauled down by Hendry while beginning a chase for a ball over the top. Hendry was the last defender but only received a yellow card given the foul was on the halfway line. The Slovenian referee was a lot harsher in handing bookings to McGinn and Kieran Tierney either side of half-time. Ola Solbakken and McGinn saw decent long-range shots saved early in the second half before Hendry got away with some penalty-box grappling with Haaland, although the striker did not appeal unlike some of his team-mates. However, he did not have long to wait for a spot-kick. Ryan Porteous grabbed the striker’s shirt as he looked set to attack Sorloth’s cross and the referee immediately pointed to the spot when Haaland went down. Porteous in return received a yellow card which rules him out of Tuesday’s visit of Georgia. Gunn dived the right way and came close but was beaten by the power of the strike from Haaland, who had only scored once in his previous eight club matches but took his tally for the season for club and country to 59. Scotland soon lost Tierney to injury with Liam Cooper entering the fray and they were making no inroads into Norway’s lead before Clarke made a triple switch in the 79th minute and moved to a back four. McLean, Stuart Armstrong and Billy Gilmour came on. Haaland went off in the 84th minute and Scotland soon stunned the hosts and delighted their travelling fans with their late double whammy. Read More Hayley McQueen pays tribute to father Gordon after his death at 70 Romeo Beckham signs for Premier League club George Saville will never complain about lack of recognition for his hard work Romeo Beckham signs for Premier League club George Saville will never complain about lack of recognition for his hard work David Brooks accepts people will start to doubt Wales following Armenia defeat

Kenny McLean scored a dramatic 89th-minute winner for Scotland in Norway as the visitors turned their Euro 2024 qualifier on its head with two goals in as many minutes. Scotland were trailing to Erling Haaland’s 61st-minute penalty and had barely posed a threat before Lyndon Dykes capitalised on some hesitancy in the Norwegian defence to nudge the ball home after John McGinn’s attempted through ball had been intercepted. The Group A leaders soon ensured they continued their perfect start to the campaign when Dykes laid McGinn’s pass back to substitute McLean, who curled a low shot just inside the far post. The visitors wore black armbands in memory of Gordon McQueen, who scored his fifth and final international goal in a 4-0 win in the same stadium in 1979 on the previous occasion the teams met in a European Championship qualifier. And they provided a fitting tribute to the 30-times capped centre-back with a sensational comeback victory. Jack Hendry was handed possibly the most difficult task in world football at the moment when he was drafted in to play at the heart of a back three tasked with stopping Haaland. The Club Brugge defender was the only change to the team that beat Spain in March after Grant Hanley dropped out with a serious Achilles injury. The best chance of the first half fell to Norway forward Alexander Sorloth, who sent a free header from eight yards straight at Angus Gunn. Scotland struggled to retain possession in the opening 20 minutes before settling down somewhat. Andy Robertson produced two good runs and crosses but they did not lead to anything and McGinn was closed down quickly after getting a sight of goal following Ryan Christie’s cross. Steve Clarke’s side were employing a flat back five out of possession and trying to keep a high line. The only time Haaland got the ball in a decent position in the first half, Callum McGregor quickly tracked back to make a penalty-box tackle. The striker might have had a far better chance if he had not been hauled down by Hendry while beginning a chase for a ball over the top. Hendry was the last defender but only received a yellow card given the foul was on the halfway line. The Slovenian referee was a lot harsher in handing bookings to McGinn and Kieran Tierney either side of half-time. Ola Solbakken and McGinn saw decent long-range shots saved early in the second half before Hendry got away with some penalty-box grappling with Haaland, although the striker did not appeal unlike some of his team-mates. However, he did not have long to wait for a spot-kick. Ryan Porteous grabbed the striker’s shirt as he looked set to attack Sorloth’s cross and the referee immediately pointed to the spot when Haaland went down. Porteous in return received a yellow card which rules him out of Tuesday’s visit of Georgia. Gunn dived the right way and came close but was beaten by the power of the strike from Haaland, who had only scored once in his previous eight club matches but took his tally for the season for club and country to 59. Scotland soon lost Tierney to injury with Liam Cooper entering the fray and they were making no inroads into Norway’s lead before Clarke made a triple switch in the 79th minute and moved to a back four. McLean, Stuart Armstrong and Billy Gilmour came on. Haaland went off in the 84th minute and Scotland soon stunned the hosts and delighted their travelling fans with their late double whammy. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Andy Murray reaches back-to-back finals after beating Nuno Borges in Nottingham Jodie Burrage sets up all-British final with Katie Boulter in Nottingham Remco Evenepoel pays tribute to Gino Mader during Tour de Suisse stage win

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Brentford B have announced the signing of Romeo Beckham from Inter Miami on a one-year deal following an impressive loan spell. The 20-year-old son of David Beckham – who is co-owner of Inter Miami – spent the second half of last season on loan with Brentford’s B side but has now put pen to paper on a permanent contract, with the option of a further year. Beckham helped the Bees lift the Premier League Cup last season and featured 15 times, scoring a late goal against National League side Wealdstone in the Middlesex Senior Cup. Brentford B head coach Neil MacFarlane will be hoping the youngster can continue where he left off in west London. He told the club website: “We added Romeo to our squad in January and he’s been fantastic for the group. “He’s had a terrific end to the season in terms of his recent match against Manchester City where he showed what he’s learned during his loan with us. “We’ve continued to develop him in and out of possession and we look forward to him coming back in good spirits to continue working with him next season.” Read More George Saville will never complain about lack of recognition for his hard work David Brooks accepts people will start to doubt Wales following Armenia defeat Legendary commentator Martin Tyler steps down from Sky Sports role after 33 years

George Saville will never complain about a lack of recognition for his work in the Millwall and Northern Ireland engine rooms, but when praise came his way at the end of the season he was delighted to get it. Saville has made his career out of doing the dirty work in midfield, the sort of unglamorous role which can go unnoticed. But the 30-year-old was third in the running for Millwall’s player of the season award after being singled out by manager Gary Rowett for praise during a play-off push which fell short on the final day of the Championship season as Blackburn came from 3-1 down to win 4-3 at The Den. “With the manager having that trust in me, how he spoke to me at the back end of the season was fantastic and to get recognition at that level was great,” Saville told the PA news agency. “I’ve had a good season personally, my confidence is good, my fitness is good. It’s just a shame we missed out on the play-offs on the final day when it was in our hands. But that’s football. “You learn lessons and hopefully that makes the team stronger. For me as an individual I do what I can every time I step on the pitch and long may it continue.” Saville is playing some of the best football of his career, and was a strong performer again as Northern Ireland suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Group H top seeds Denmark, working tirelessly to support young, relatively inexperienced colleagues in his side’s injury-ravaged midfield. “I enjoy the hard work and that side of the game,” Saville added. “In club football I do the same thing, I play a deeper role for Millwall. A lot of work goes unnoticed but I don’t need a pat on the back or for anyone to say well done for doing this or that. “I don’t need a high profile, I’m happy to do what I need to do for the team and if that goes unnoticed so be it. As long as it helps the team that’s the main thing.” Friday was Saville’s 45th cap but he is yet to score in international football, a fact he is not always happy to be reminded of. Saville gets his share of goals at club level, and remains convinced he can one day get on the scoresheet for Northern Ireland. “I wouldn’t say it plays on my mind,” he said. “I’ve had opportunities to score. For club level I’ve scored goals, it’s just something that I feel like will still come. I don’t think about it much, I’m more focused on the team. “I’m in the right areas. I’m an optimistic person. I think it will come but the main objective for me now is qualifying for a major championships.” Saville is enjoying once again working under Michael O’Neill, the man who gave him his international debut in 2017, and who returned to the Northern Ireland job in December after a spell at Stoke. “Michael first brought me in so for me it’s great,” he said. “We’ve got a great relationship and understanding and he’s someone I really enjoy working with, I really enjoy having Michael as a manager. “As a person he’s the same old Michael. He’s had different experiences and he’s come back to a different squad. We’ve lost a few experienced lads. “In the last couple of camps it’s been a young squad and now they are coming through and it’s become more that way. It’s a different situation for us and for him and one we’re all adapting to and trying to give ourselves the best opportunity.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live David Brooks accepts people will start to doubt Wales following Armenia defeat Michael O’Neill not thinking about Northern Ireland qualifying for Euro 2024 Gareth Southgate wants England to retain winning mentality on road to Euro 2024

David Brooks accepts that “people will be starting to doubt us” following Wales’ humiliating 4-2 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat against Armenia. Wales would have gone top of Pool D had they beaten a team 71 places below them in the world rankings. And life will not get any easier in terms of the battle for automatic qualification as Wales face an appointment with group leaders Turkey in Samsun on Monday. “If we win that, we go back into a position of power,” Brooks said. “We all know that, and that is what we are going to be trying to do. “We all know what we want to achieve – we want to get to the major tournaments. We have two days to kind of get over it and get back to work. “I think people will be starting to doubt us, but we have got to go and try and put in a performance to prove all those people wrong. “We all want to get to a major tournament, so nothing has changed.” Wales’ first European Championship qualifying defeat at home since 2011 dropped them to third in the group as Turkey won 3-2 in Latvia. Lucas Zelarayan and Grant-Leon Ranos both scored twice as Armenia secured one of the greatest victories in their football history. And Welsh misery was completed by the dismissal of Kieffer Moore, who was adjudged to have committed foul play by Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov after tangling with goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich. He will miss the Turkey clash. Brooks added: “Four goals at home isn’t good enough, I think we all know that, and we will be getting together and trying to figure out how to put that right in two days’ time. “Bigger teams than us have done that to us, and we’ve caused upset results. It happens near enough every week in the Premier League, and we all knew that going into the game. They took their chances well. “I’ve spoken to Kieffer. I don’t think he thinks he’s done a lot. They were kind of making a meal out of everything. “Kieffer is a big part of what we want to do, so he is going to be a big miss for Turkey.” Brooks’ return to the international arena was a highlight of an often chaotic night at Cardiff City Stadium. He was diagnosed with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma while on international duty in October 2021, and Brooks received a standing ovation when he went on as a second-half substitute. “It was special,” he said. “It has been a long two years to finally put that Wales shirt back on. “To get the reception that I did, especially when I came on – I could hear every single one of them (fans) – and I just want to say thank you.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Michael O’Neill not thinking about Northern Ireland qualifying for Euro 2024 Gareth Southgate wants England to retain winning mentality on road to Euro 2024 Josh Cullen admits Republic of Ireland have no excuses after Greece defeat

Michael O’Neill has said trying to qualify for Euro 2024 is no longer his primary concern as Northern Ireland’s injury crisis shows no sign of abating. Craig Cathcart was a late withdrawal ahead of Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Denmark in Copenhagen, taking the number of senior players missing through injury into double figures. A youthful line-up that included teenagers Conor Bradley, Shea Charles and Isaac Price handled the intimidating atmosphere of the Parken Stadium admirably and thought they had a stoppage-time equaliser to cancel out Jonas Wind’s goal, only for debutant Callum Marshall’s strike to be ruled offside by VAR. Defeat leaves Northern Ireland with one win from their opening three qualifiers, albeit still only three points off top spot with Denmark, Finland, Slovenia and Kazakhstan all on six points. When O’Neill, the man who guided Northern Ireland to Euro 2016, returned to the job in December, there was real hope that they could capitalise on what was seen as a favourable draw in Group H. But asked if Friday’s defeat put pressure on Northern Ireland to beat Kazakhstan at Windsor Park on Monday, O’Neill said: “We had six under-21s on the pitch. We’re not thinking about qualification. We’re thinking about putting points on the board. We have 10 senior players out injured. “We’re not in that place that the teams we’re playing against, the likes of Denmark, are. We’re building a team here that’s dealing with a difficult situation with the number of senior players we’ve lost. “We’re not in there before the game talking about qualification, we’re talking about a level of performance, to give a really good account of ourselves, which we did. Obviously if we can take points which we nearly did we’d be delighted but we’re not talking in that vein at the moment.” With the likes of Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans and Shane Ferguson all out with long-term injuries, O’Neill was already relying on young players during March’s fixtures and was made to do so again for a trip away to the top seeds in the group. Cathcart could return in time for Monday’s fixture, but a huge amount of vital experience is missing from O’Neill’s ranks. “You know the players who are missing and you know the players we’re asking to play at this moment in time,” he said. “They’re not first-team players at their respective clubs on a regular basis and we’re playing against established international players who play at top clubs in Europe. “We have to be realistic with the level we can compete at on a consistent basis. “But the experience the players will have from nights like this, this is a brilliant place to play football, a brilliant stadium, brilliant home support, a fantastic pitch, and they will be better at the start of what is an international journey for a lot of these players. “A number of these players will have long and distinguished international careers, it’s nights like these they will really benefit from.” Northern Ireland left Copenhagen still frustrated by the disallowed goal, with VAR having taken five minutes to decide Jonny Evans’ heel was offside before he headed the ball on for Marshall to finish, but there was pride in a battling display. One mistake proved the difference, with Wind pouncing when Ciaron Brown failed to deal with Joakim Maehle’s cross into the box. “It’s disappointing to lose to a goal of that nature,” O’Neill added. “But we have to look at so much that was positive in our performance. We lost Craig Cathcart overnight with a back injury and I think what we got from our lads was terrific and as a manager you can’t really ask for much more.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Gareth Southgate wants England to retain winning mentality on road to Euro 2024 Josh Cullen admits Republic of Ireland have no excuses after Greece defeat Callum Wilson praises England for being clinical and ruthless in win over Malta

Gareth Southgate wants England to retain a relentless winning mentality akin to treble winners Manchester City as the road to Euro 2024 continues. Monday’s Group C encounter against North Macedonia marks the halfway point of qualification for next summer’s tournament in Germany. England already look all but assured of reaching the Euros having won at reigning champions Italy and beaten Ukraine in March before swatting aside Malta 4-0 on Friday night. Southgate’s opposite number Michele Marcolini said the minnows, ranked 172nd in the world, could not get anywhere near the visitors as they had an “amazing attitude on the pitch from the first minute”. That is the product of the impressive mindset cultivated by England, who are also expected to beat 65th-placed North Macedonia as this mammoth season finally comes to a close on Monday. Put to Southgate that progress to date will count for nothing if complacency seeps in at Old Trafford, the England boss said: “Correct, yeah. That’s what we have to be. “We’ve just watched the team win three trophies. Why? Because pretty much every game I saw them play the mentality was spot on. Sometimes you can say things as a coach but the fact that there's somebody sitting ready to take your place that's a good player also has an impact Gareth Southgate “That helps when you’ve got competition for places like we have because also you know that you can’t afford a dip. You’ve got to produce. “So sometimes you can say things as a coach but the fact that there’s somebody sitting ready to take your place that’s a good player also has an impact. “But we have good professionals. Everybody, of course, is excited by our younger players, but our senior players have a big impact on the way they train. “The way they embrace the younger ones coming in and the way they demand in the dressing room, the mentality that they start to set, so it all plays a part.” Southgate utilised an experienced core in Malta, while giving Marc Guehi and James Maddison starts on a night when Trent Alexander-Arnold played in midfield. That experiment worked brilliantly as the Liverpool right-back put in a man-of-the-match display, scoring a fine effort and playing a part in England’s two other first-half goals. Southgate admits England’s performance in Malta has slightly altered his thinking ahead of facing North Macedonia, but suggested it was down to other aspects than Alexander Arnold’s display. “Yep (the performance made me think differently) but not the obvious that you might think!” he said with a smile. “We always have in mind what happens (next). Of course, there’s still training over the next couple of days also to take into account. “But what we saw tonight probably confirmed a couple of things, but also, you know, left one or two things open. “You’ve always got a plan but normally we’re on plan E, F or G by the time we get to matchday because of the players we’ve lost or things that have happened. “So, you always have to be flexible but pleased to get the players off that we got off and nice to give some minutes to some others as well.” Harry Kane – who scored England’s third – Luke Shaw, Jordan Henderson and Maddison were withdrawn in the second half after Bukayo Saka was taken off at the break. The 21-year-old forward had looked in discomfort after a tackle just before half-time, but Southgate moved to allay any injury concerns. “He is good,” the England boss said. “We just thought there’s no point in taking any chances with the scoreline as it was.” In truth, Friday’s straightforward match in Malta will not live long in the memory but it will be forever etched in Eberechi Eze’s memory. Denied a place in England’s provisional Euro 2020 squad by a cruelly timed Achilles injury, the Crystal Palace midfielder finally made his debut as a 70th-minute substitute at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium. “For Eze, nice to dip his toes,” Southgate said. “He’s only had a few days training with us so he’s still getting used to everything. “It’s, of course, a big step coming into a senior camp for the first time, even though he’s been with the Under-21s. “He’s, I think, had his eyes opened to the level, the quality of the players, the intensity every day so a brilliant experience for him. “He’s fabulous boy, I have to say. He really gives a lot of energy every day, which is brilliant.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Josh Cullen admits Republic of Ireland have no excuses after Greece defeat Callum Wilson praises England for being clinical and ruthless in win over Malta Commentator Martin Tyler stepping down from role at Sky Sports after 33 years

Josh Cullen has admitted the Republic of Ireland have no-one to blame but themselves after defeat in Greece ripped apart their Euro 2024 qualification hopes. Stephen Kenny’s men headed for Athens in bullish mood after a creditable performance as they went down 1-0 to World Cup runners-up France in their opening Group B fixture in March. With the Netherlands also waiting in the wings, they knew victory over Gus Poyet’s men – or certainly something more than the 2-1 defeat they ultimately suffered at the OPAP Arena – would be required if they were to prosper, but in the event, they were outplayed for long periods and emerged with what they deserved. Burnley midfielder Cullen said: “We are very disappointed. We’ve got to be better than that, it’s as simple as that. “We have to take account as players. We need to look at ourselves, there is no excuses we can make.” Ireland survived an early blitz, largely thanks to keeper Gavin Bazunu, but succumbed after a VAR intervention prompted Austrian referee Harald Lechner to award a penalty after Callum O’Dowda had blocked George Baldock’s cross with his arm. They dragged themselves back into it before the break courtesy of defender Nathan Collins’ finish after Evan Ferguson had flicked on Will Smallbone’s corner, but were undone again four minutes after the restart when the excellent Tasos Bakasetas played in Giorgos Masouras to beat Bazunu. When you come away in big matches like this, the last thing you want to do is make mistakes that end in goals Republic of Ireland midfielder Josh Cullen Cullen said: “When you come away in big matches like this, the last thing you want to do is make mistakes that end in goals. We have been doing that too much recently. “It’s a disappointing night and we need to reflect and go again on Monday.” It was the manner of the defeat as much as the fact of it that was concerning as Ireland, who face Gibraltar in Dublin on Monday evening, found themselves on the back foot for much of a contest dominated by a slick Greek outfit which sit three places below them in FIFA’s ranking table. They were never able to get to grips with Trabzonspor schemer Bakasetas or Masouras in midfield and starved of meaningful possession, struggled to create much of note until a late flurry as the hosts sat back on their lead. Kenny and his players must now put their disappointment behind them and prepare for a game in which even a comprehensive victory over a side beaten 3-0 at home by France on Friday evening would do little to improve their parlous position in the group. However, asked how he saw the situation, Cullen said: “Monday. We aren’t looking any further than that. We have to prepare for that and make sure we get a result.” Kenny will be forced to make at least one change with wing-back Matt Doherty suspended after his stoppage-time red card in Athens for a push on Kostas Tsimikas amid a melee as tempers frayed. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Callum Wilson praises England for being clinical and ruthless in win over Malta Commentator Martin Tyler stepping down from role at Sky Sports after 33 years Team withdraws from Tour de Suisse after death of rider Gino Mader