THE Republic of Ireland’s World Cup hopes hang by a thread after they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Serbia at the Aviva Stadium.
Former Manchester City star Aleksandar Kolarov grabbed the only goal of the game as Wales’ late win over Moldova saw Ireland slip to third in Group D.
Martin O’Neill’s men gave a good performance in front of their fans but found it difficult to break down Serbia’s stubborn defence.
The visitors even finished the game with ten men, but Ireland’s man advantage made little difference as they saw top spot slip from their grasp.
They had looked good for at least a point until Kolarov struck in the 54th minute for Serbia.
The left-back took control of the ball before lashing it home, much to the dismay of the home supporters.
Ireland continued to push and soon found themselves a man up after Nikola Maksimovic saw a straight red for a last-man foul just outside the box.
However, they fluffed a number of chances as the clock ticked down and looked rather despondent as news floated in of Wales’ goal against Moldova.
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It now means Ireland trail Chris Coleman’s men by a point with two games to go, with Serbia four points clear of Wales at the top of the table.
They must now win against bottom-feeders Moldova next month before heading to Cardiff for what will essentially be a final against the Welsh at their home.
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