Irish media react to West Brom duo Dara O’Shea and Jayson Molumby in gutsy 1-0 defeat v France
West Brom duo Jayson Molumby and Dara O’Shea impressed the Irish media following the Republic of Ireland’s gutsy 1-0 defeat to France on Monday evening (27 March).
Benjamin Pavard’s wondergoal, paired with some equally eye-catching saves from French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, were enough to keep a valiant Republic of Ireland side at bay late in the game at the Aviva Stadium.
Baggies defender O’Shea started on the left side of a back-three alongside Wolves’ Nathan Collins and Sheffield United’s John Egan, while Molumby lined up in the centre of midfield.
RTE left both players glowing reviews in their player ratings, giving both West Brom men a 7/10 rating.
On O’Shea, they wrote: “His night was all about positioning as he read everything around him while not once drifting out of position. This made sure that there were no gaps that France could exploit in the Irish defence.”
Meanwhile, the Irish media outlet praised Molumby for his combative but equally productive performance on the ball, writing: “The West Bromwich Albion midfielder was everywhere for Ireland in the centre of the pitch.
“He was first to break up any bit of French play in the middle, and he made sure Ireland gave away no turnovers when they pushed up high into the opposition half.
The Irish Mirror were equally impressed with the Baggies pair, rating them both a 7/10 in their player ratings.
They highlighted Molumby for his energy, which was “off the charts” and full of “lung-busting runs”, while admitting that O’Shea was caught in two minds for Pavard’s goal but made up for it with a “vital” tackle on Moussa Diaby.
Promising
Carlos Corberan will be pleased that both Molumby and O’Shea made it through the international break unscathed but more impressed by the way they went about their action against the World Cup finalists.
Keeping a star-studded France team at bay in such a manner as the Republic of Ireland did is no mean feat, with the Netherlands conceding three goals against them within just 20 minutes last time out.
Baggies fans will hope that the pair can carry this strong form back into the Championship in what should be an extremely exciting end to the season.
Every single West Brom player will need to be firing on all cylinders if they hope to stand a chance of a playoff spot this season, having entered the international break on the back of a disappointing draw against Cardiff.
The crunch clash against promotion rivals Millwall this weekend (Saturday, 1 April) could well be the defining fixture in West Brom’s season and highlight if the club have any realistic chances of featuring in the Premier League next season.
In other West Brom news, Ally Robertson has shared his Baggies verdict before the Championship showdown against Millwall.