Ireland's Nathan Collins has offered his apologies to the Irish fans who had to witness their capitulation in London last night.
The Boys in Green and England faced off in the final game of the Nations League, but England ran away with the game in the second half after Liam Scales' red card.
Goals from Harry Kane, Conor Gallagher, Anthony Gordon, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, and Jarrod Bowen meant a game that looked promising for Ireland ended in a 5-0 rout.
Collins, the captain on the day, spoke to reporters in the mixed zone after the game. The Brentford defender admitted that the second half was not the standard they aimed to set and that the squad was acutely aware that they were better than what they showed.
“First of all, it’s probably an apology from all the lads for that second half," Ireland captain Collins said after the game.
“That’s nowhere near the standard we should be. Obviously, circumstances change things, but we know as a group we’re a lot better than that, and that’s not on.”
Ireland were resolute in the first half, and many argue that it was Ireland's most structured performance in years, but it all changed because of the Scales sending off.
🏴 5-0 🇮🇪
'First off, an apology from all the lads. That second half is nowhere near the standard we should be'
Captain Nathan Collins reacts to a horrific second 45 minutes
📺 Watch live https://t.co/b2OI4OoWVJ
📱 Updates https://t.co/BL2LAg1j9z pic.twitter.com/oCghBZtgIG— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) November 17, 2024
Collins admitted at the time that he hadn't seen the penalty but assumed it was a bit soft. However, he admitted again that the second half wasn’t good enough despite the debatable call. He and the team are now focused on putting it right for fans in the near future.
“I’d need to see it [the England penalty] back; I did think it was a little bit soft, to be honest. He [the referee] did like his yellow card, but listen, it doesn’t take away from the fact that we weren’t good enough in the second half.
“We have to take that first half into account. With 11 men, it’s a different game.
“I feel bad for them [the fans]. And what they saw in the second half isn’t what they wanted. It’s tough for us as well, but a credit to them.”
Ireland will now wait until Friday, November 22, to discover their opponent for the UEFA Nations League play-off.
