1 Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wenesday)
Sought to impress by launching quick counters but over hit the target of Doyle. Shame as both men needed to shine on this rare night in the starting XI. The wall failed to protect him for Hörður Björgvin Magnússon goal.
Rating: 5
2 Cyrus Christie (Derby County)
Defensively sound but a genuine threat raiding up the right flank, dovetailing cleverly with McGeady and Doyle, to gift Martin O’Neill a ready-made replacement for Seamus Coleman the player, if not the leader.
Rating: 7
14 John Egan (Brentford)
Memorable debut. Bled for the cause after a stray Icelandic elbow off the first dropping ball. Patched up and returned to get booked on 19 minutes for gently leaning on Kjartan FinnBogason. Magnússon curled the resulting free into bottom corner.
Rating: 5
4 Alex Pearce (Derby County)
Kept alert due to Finnbogason’s Viking strength and sprawling 6’3” frame. Competent display in chief organising role and so an option in the event of mass injury.
Rating: 5
10 Robbie Brady (Burnley, capt)
Encouragingly unruffled by left back duties, even when back-pedalling, turning the regular touches into a chance to laser passes down the left for Hayes and McClean. Lacked his usual accuracy though.
Rating: 6
7 Aiden McGeady (Preston North End)
There was once a scintillating Celtic winger who landed at Everton, following self imposed exile in Moscow, yet failed to stoke the embers of promise. Some of the talent he undoubtedly posseses has been on show at Preston but wasn’t seen on Tuesday with poor crossing that centre halves easily devoured.
Rating: 4
3 Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa)
Busy debut saw him dropping from midfield to take ball off his back four in order to begin Ireland’s otherwise poor efforts to pass through their great Nordic rivals (justifiably ranked one place ahead of them by Fifa).
Rating: 5
13 Jeff Hendrick (Burnley)
Didn’t grab hold of this meeting like we know he can. Burnley manager Sean Dyche will be pleased to see him removed on 62 minutes without tweaked muscle or cracked bone.
Rating: 5
20 Johnny Hayes (Aberdeen)
It’s a hard sell convincing O’Neill to look past current wide men but Hayes went hunting for every scrap of possession. Pace, decent touch and ravenous hunger all point to future caps.
Rating: 6
11 James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)
Over an hour of usual honest to god workrate. Cap 50 is on the horizon and still he covered ground, in a free role off Doyle, as if qualification to Russia depended upon every single ball.
Rating: 7
8 Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids)
Showed for every hint of an opportunity and combined well with Christie and others but never saw the whites of Iceland goalkeeper Ogmudur Kristinsson’s eyes.
Rating: 5
Bench
Callum O’Dowda looked the part again. Shane Long’s bustling impact highlighted what Doyle could not do.
Rating: 5
Coach
Plenty of lessons from exposing wider squad. A defeat but O’Neill warmed the League of Ireland’s loyal souls by capping two former Dundalk players in Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle.
Rating: 5
