Shay Given: Another Day We Could Have Drawn

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EC: Shay Given of Ireland after 0-1 against Germany (AFP)

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It took just three minutes for Poland to take the lead with captain Mariusz Lewandowski climbing up unmarked to head in a free-kick to get them off to a superb start.

Damien Duff was Ireland's only attacking threat in the first half, missing three chances, while Poland continued to look dangerous on the counter.

The second half started the same with sub Roger Guerreiro grabbing a goal after just one minute to put Poland firmly in control.

Giovanni Trapattoni made several changes in the second half as Ireland looked to get something out of the game. But it wasn't until the 88th minute that they got a goal back, with Stephen Hunt scoring a penalty after Shane Long was brought down in the box.

But Poland struck again seconds later, with Robert Lewandowski finishing brilliantly into the top corner from just outside the box. However, Ireland didn't give up.

And it was Keith Andrews who scored on his debut with a bullet of a shot with his right foot to put an end to a hectic final few minutes.

After the game Shay Given talked of the dissapointment in the dressing room: "It's dissapointing to give away an early goa like that. I don't know who was meant to pick him up, but it's very dissapointing to give a goal away like that."

The stand-in captain added: "It was a hectic finale but we gave away dissapointing goals. After their first goal i thought we were the better side. We came close near the end, Kilbane had one that could have gone in, but we're dissapointed to lose."

Given was clearly unhappy with his defence for Poland's first goal:''I'm not sure who was meant to pick him up. We'll have to look back at it and see where wecan improve to cut that out in future.

The game was very close at the end and the Newcastle net-minder commented: "On another day we could have equalised. On another day we could have gotsomething more. It was a friendly and now we have to just look forward to the qualifiers ahead."

David Goonan