Martin O'Neill: 'Two goals in the space of a couple of minutes knocked us for six'

Gerard Grimes reports from the Aviva Stadium

Martin O’Neill admitted his Republic of Ireland side were well beaten by a Denmark team who 'knocked us for six with two goals in quick succession in the first half after Ireland had taken an early lead.

By full time, a Christian Eriksen-inspired Denmark had outscored his country's 4-1 victory from Eoin Hand’s last time in charge of Ireland but they hadn’t quite reached the humiliation of Germany’s 6-1 Aviva win in 2012 but that was no consolation.

The ‘Boys in Green’ got off to the best possible start, as Shane Duffy gave them the lead just six minutes in.

However, two goals in two minutes around the half-hour mark for Denmark turned the game on its head, setting Denmark on their way to a convincing win.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” O’Neill told the press following the defeat. “We fought very strongly. Tonight was our opportunity. We thought that we could win the game.

“We were well beaten in the end. We got off to a really good start.

“We had a good chance to make it 2-0. We probably would have need that but the two goals we conceded in the space of a couple of minutes just knocked us for six really.”

With Ireland needing to win the game in order to progress to the World Cup, O’Neill made two changes at half time, bringing on Aiden McGeady and Wes Hoolahan in place of Harry Arter and captain David Meyler.

O’Neill admitted that these changes left Ireland too open in midfield but said the changes needed to be made.

“We were chasing the game. We needed some goals in the second half to get back into the game, made a couple of changes and obviously as we are trying to press.

“Denmark took advantage of us, they deserved to go through. They beat us convincingly in the end. We needed to try get goals, we needed width back in the side.

“What happens of course, in terms of physical strength, is you lose some of that in the side, but we needed some goals. It wasn’t to be and Denmark made us pay for it.”

With this disappointment, there is now speculation as to whether O’Neill will stay on as manager. It was last month it was announced that O’Neill had agreed a contract extension that would see him to stay on as manager until the end of the UEFA Euro 2020 campaign.

Asked about the contract situation on Tuesday night, O’Neill said he hadn’t discussed the issue further with FAI CEO John Delaney since the agreement was made but that the pair will later this month.

“I haven’t spoken to John since we talked about it (the contract). There was an agreement but I’ll speak to John in the next couple of weeks.”

“We were beaten in a playoff game. We fought tooth and nail to get in this position.

“This wasn’t the first game of a new campaign, it was a play-off to get us to the World Cup. I have to commend the players on getting this far.”