McPhail seeks Serbian solace

Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen McPhail is hoping for a chance to take his FA Cup final heartache out on Serbia.

The 28-year-old Cardiff midfielder was in the side which lost 1-0 to Barclays Premier League Portsmouth at Wembley on Saturday as a fairytale ending to a remarkable tournament was blown apart by Pompey striker Kanu.

But as his team-mates headed back to Wales thinking of what might have been, McPhail went home briefly to pack his bag before joining up with the Ireland squad at their training camp in Portugal.

Within hours of his arrival on the Algarve, the former Leeds trainee was back in action as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 training match victory over local side Lagos.

The travelling party will return to Dublin tomorrow to prepare for Saturday's evening's friendly clash with Serbia at Croke Park, and it is that, rather than the weekend's events, which are occupying McPhail's mind.

McPhail will end an eventful season on the international stage as he and his colleagues attempt to lay the foundation for a successful World Cup qualifying campaign.

New manager Giovanni Trapattoni will select an Ireland side for an international game for the first time on Saturday evening before Thursday's meeting with Colombia at Craven Cottage.

The fixtures will give the Italian a chance to assess his players — Richard Dunne, John O'Shea, Robbie Keane, Aiden McGeady and Darren O'Dea are due to join the squad following their return to Dublin — and their chances of emerging from a tough Group Eight which pitches them into battle with Italy, Georgia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Montenegro.

However, McPhail is confident there is both the quality and the belief within the squad to make the 2010 finals.

He said: "It's tough to get out, but with the manager's experience and will and know-how about getting out of a group, we should be fine.

"I think he feels we can get out and we are no different, we feel we have got enough in the squad to get us out of the group."

PA