Bosnia draws 1-1 with Ireland in 1st leg of Euro playoff

“I don’t think we can sit (back)”.

“Obviously, it would be terrific if we could do it, but I have to be very, very mindful of the fact that we are a long way away from doing that”, he said, according to Sky Sports.

“There was a feeling beforehand that a few players weren’t bothered about playing for their country but I haven’t witnessed or experienced it”.

Will Bosnia feel like the first leg was a missed opportunity remains to be seen, as the key question surrounding their performance on Friday was whether or not they could have done more in an attacking sense.

Ireland’s RTE man-of-match Robbie Brady revealed how he and goal-scoring hero Jon Walters had discussed the move that led to the second goal prior to the game.

Martin O’Neill has warned an expectant Ireland that his side still have much to do to book their place at the European Championship finals next summer, despite returning from the away leg in Bosnia with a 1-1 draw.

O’Neill was always likely to restore Walters to his starting line-up after suspension, but not risk either John O’Shea or Shane Long from the start after their battles for fitness, and that was the only change in personnel as full-back Stephen Ward made way from the XI which started in Zenica.

He said: “John has done a significant amount of work during the week which is fine, Shane perhaps less so”.

Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, now at Chelsea but who up until this season was teammates with Ireland duo Walters and Glenn Whelan at Stoke City, hopes that a more positive approach from the Irish could play in Bosnia’s favor.

“I don’t think the advantage is with us”, said O’Neill.

“First of all, it’s very hard to speak about this because because we are aware of what we have lost in these two matches”.

O’Neill said: “Walters has had a tournament to remember”.

“If we go into the game with any other mind set, I think we will make it hard for ourselves”.

Defender Seamus Coleman echoed O’Neill’s sentiments and reiterated the importance of the away goal but couldn’t help remarking on the disappointment of Dzeko’s equaliser.

“I’ll put them in on merit and hopefully the experience that they have garnered over the last 10 or 15 years could stand us in a bit of decent stead”.

“/3You’ve got to take it in because these moments don’t come round often in a career”.

“What I didn’t know until afterwards was that if the game had been called off, we would only have come back for the rest of the game”.

It has proved an eventful campaign for Ireland, whose hopes of qualification were dealt early blows by defeat in Scotland and a home draw with Poland.

O’Shea was suspended for the first game but has not played since suffering a hamstring injury in Sunderland’s derby win over Newcastle United in the Premier League last month.