Martin O’Neill will have learned a fair bit tonight…
Shay Given – Another cap for the Donegal man on a night where he wasn’t too busy. He could do nothing about the goal and made an excellent stop midway through the second half. 7
Cyrus Christie – The Derby defender had a shaky start but grew into the game and showed some good touches and dribbling ability. A promising debut. 7
Alex Pearce – A decent performance from Pearce who didn’t do much wrong. A last gasp clearance saved a certain goal in the first half. 7
Ciaran Clark – Another steady performance at the back. The Aston Villa man showed his quality on the ball and got stuck in as well. A decent shift. 7
Robbie Brady – A bright performance by Brady who many Irish fans believe should be first choice. He took his goal well and his free kick was amazing. Brady was an outlet on the left side all night. 9
Anthony Pilkington – One of Pilkington’s best performances in an Irish shirt. He took his goal wonderfully and looked dangerous every time he was in possession. Gave MON some food for thought. 8
Stephen Quinn – Tidy enough performance in the middle of midfield but nothing to suggest he has moved up the pecking order. 6
David Meyler – A proud night for the Cork man who wore the captain’s armband. A busy and industrious performance. 7
Anthony Stokes – A quiet night for the Celtic man. He didn’t have much impact in the game. 6
David McGoldrick – A dream debut for McGoldrick who provided two fantastic assists for his side. He looks like he could be an option down the line. 8
Daryl Murphy – A lively performance by the Waterford man but didn’t show enough to suggest he’ll get near the first team. 6
Substitutions:
Aiden McGeady – The Everton man did very little in the half an hour or so he had on the pitch. 5
James McClean – The Wigan winger scored with 10 minutes to go with the help of a deflection. He bought a ticket. It’ll be good for his confidence. 7
Jeff Hendrick – Barely mentioned after he came on. N/A
Shane Long – Long hit the post just before McClean’s fortunate goal in the 81st minute. 6
Rob Elliot – A late sub for Shay Given. N/A
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