Disbelief greets the one that got away

Players' quotes: Most relied on their box of clichés to describe the bizarre goings on Saturday night. All true, but what gnawed away inside player and fan alike felt desperately like the pang of defeat.

For all 52 minutes of the second-half, the ground was akin to a well-shaken bottle of bubbly. Ready to burst. But the cork was wedged deep by the bunker-like defensive system employed by the Israelis.

The players took it on the chin but from this experience a predominant feeling lingered.

"Disbelief really," said John O'Shea. "I don't know how we did not come away with the three points. We did everything we could in the second half in particular. I think the keeper's had the game of his life but we definitely had a few decisions that maybe could have gone our way too. Especially, being the home team."

Ah yes, the goalkeeper, one Dudu Aouate. His theatrics will stand the test of time with any of the great con artists of the modern game. A blow on the snout was over-elaborated to such an extent that he became the major contributor to those seven additional minutes. In particular, his part in the Andy O'Brien dismissal was despicable but one fears he has attained hero status in Tel Aviv.

"When I saw it I just looked at the keeper swinging and hitting Andy in the chest," continued O'Shea. "I did not see Andy do anything. The keeper had a bloodied nose from a clash before; obviously the ref might have thought that Andy hit the keeper but he has done no such thing so hopefully we can appeal that and get Andy back for the next game." A forlorn hope as it turned out.

"You are hoping for a strong referee who will stamp that out. I think it was probably about the 90th minute that he (Aouate) got booked (for time-wasting) but you just have to get on with it. You are used to it when you play the foreign teams. That is one of their tactics and it worked darn well."

The other foreigner present was Greek referee Kyros Vassaras. Perhaps the most mystifying occurrence on the night was when he adjudged O'Shea to have fouled Yossi Benayoun in first half injury time and duly awarded a penalty.

"Obviously the ref is from Greece but you are allowed tackle sometimes. It is hard to believe some of the decisions he was making. I thought for the penalty, I stood my ground. The fella (Benayoun) has gone to do an overhead kick and he's let out a scream and next thing I know it's a penalty and I'm booked.

"Scratching my head but we have to get on from it. We are still in the driving seat with the home games left but it's a bit more difficult obviously."

Gary Doherty looked the most likely candidate to conjure up a winner but a dose of luck was absent.

"I thought Duffer could have got one (a penalty) late on and maybe Clinton as well, getting held in the box. Some you get, some you don't. Looking back, probably we could have been playing until now and we wouldn't have scored but during the game, I think we all felt it would come," said Doherty.

The red card? "Andy O'Brien isn't the sort or person who is going to punch or kick someone and get a straight red. Andy said he got a whack first (so) that's another bad decision but you can't look back - you've just got to look forward and look at the positives," Doherty concluded.