Nov 18,2024
Nathan Collins apologised to Ireland supporters after the side slumped to a 5-0 humbling against England at Wembley.
All was going to plan at half-time as the visitors frustrated the star-studded English side, with two big penalty calls going against the Irish before the break, with Marc Guehi's tug on Evan Ferguson's shirt inside the box in particular looking clear cut.
But it all fell apart quite quickly after Liam Scales was sent off - a second yellow - as he fouled Jude Bellingham in the concession of a penalty early in the second half. Harry Kane, having set up the chance for Bellingham, converted the spot kick and England smelled blood.
Within five minutes the gap was out to three as Anthony Gordon and Conor Gallagher got in on the act, and a long final half an hour saw the Three Lions finish their brief spell under Lee Carsley with Jarrod Bowen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis adding further goals.
"First of all, it's an apology from all the lads for that second half," he began.
"That's nowhere near the standard we should be. Obviously circumstances changed things but we know, as a group, we're a lot better than that [and] that's not on.
"We need to do better than that."
The first half had been encouraging from an Irish perspective. Festy Ebosele looked lively down the right channel, while the defensive structure was stifling the side who've been to the final of the last two European Championships.
"In the first half the game plan worked well," Collins continued.
"I thought we frustrated them and created some chances in behind and in counter attacks."
On Scales' second yellow, which saw the Celtic defender sent off, Collins added: "I'd need to see it back again. I did think it was a little soft.
"He [referee, Erik Lambrechts] did like his yellow cards but it doesn't take away from the fact that in the second half we weren't good enough."
Next up for Ireland will be a promotion/relegation play-off game against a second-placed team from the C tier of the Nations League, with the draw for that set to take place on Friday.
That'll be followed by a World Cup qualifying campaign, with the Boys in Green looking to qualify for a first tournament in a decade when that begins during the summer months.
"I don't know, we'll have to watch it back," Collins said when asked how much scar tissue the heavy defeat this evening might create.
"We'll see - we have to take the first half into account, what we did there with 11 men. It changes, it's a different game [after the sending off].
"We take that into account and go again in the World Cup qualifiers."
