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Stephen Kenny was left ruing his side\u2019s lack of match sharpness and finishing touch as the Republic of Ireland fell to the first defeat of his reign as manager.<\/p>\nStephen Kenny was left ruing his side\u2019s lack of match sharpness and finishing touch as the Republic of Ireland fell to the first defeat of his reign as manager.<\/p>\n
Ireland\u2019s 1-0 loss to Finland in the Nations League marked a disappointing return of international football to Dublin after coronavirus lockdown.<\/p>\n
The defeat, in front of a near-empty Aviva Stadium, came at the hands of Fredrik Jensen who fired a second-half winner from close range just 18 seconds after coming on as a substitute.<\/p>\n
While Finland had more chances, only to be denied on a number of occasions by the solid Darren Randolph, it was Ireland who were left the more frustrated, after failing to capitalize on any of their opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe probably created five great chances, maybe three good ones and three half-chances, maybe,\u201d said Kenny.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to finish better than we did. Taking your chances is absolutely critical, it changes the game. Aaron Connolly had two good chances at least, David McGoldrick actually had two chances, Callum Robinson had a great chance\u2026 Shane Duffy\u2019s header was a much better chance than the one he scored last week, so we had a lot of chances.\u201d<\/p>\n
The defeat came after Kenny\u2019s first game in charge saw his side snatch a point when Duffy headed home against Bulgaria late on in Sofia on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The manager, whose sights are firmly on next month\u2019s crunch Euro playoff away to Slovakia, admitted he adopted an experimental approach to team selection in his first two outings as national boss.<\/p>\n
He insisted his players\u2019 lack of match fitness was crucial, as he expressed hope they would get plenty of game time with their respective clubs before they reassemble for the Slovakia clash.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe players are in pre-season, you could see it today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the midfield were pretty tired. If I had five subs I would have made two changes in the midfield and given them fresh legs.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cMatch fitness was a factor in the two games. I think in a month\u2019s time we\u2019ll be a lot better. The players found the 90 minutes a tough 90 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n