Hallgrimsson happy with positives in Senegal draw

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson says helium is taking the positives from Friday's 1-1 gully with Senegal.

The fantabulous Kasey McAteer gave the Irish the pb successful the 21st infinitesimal erstwhile helium reacted quickest aft Yehvann Diouf saved his archetypal header.

Senegal were unbeaten successful 20 matches heading into the affable and got a deserved equaliser erstwhile Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr scored from adjacent scope with 9 minutes remaining.

"I'm blessed with the show and determination are a batch of affirmative things we tin instrumentality from this," Hallgrimsson told RTE Sport.

"The antagonistic happening is we conceded goals from crosses. It wasn't tactical - determination were capable bodies successful the container but we request to beryllium a small spot much brave."

The erstwhile Iceland manager handed a archetypal commencement to Leicester City's McAteer and helium rewarded the religion shown by his manager by netting the opening extremity successful Dublin.

Hallgrimsson said the 23-year-old enactment successful a "really bully performance" connected his maiden planetary start.

"He showed a batch of confidence, took players connected and got the extremity arsenic a reward," helium added.

"I'm truly blessed for him."

The Republic are backmost successful enactment connected Tuesday distant to Luxembourg successful their last affable earlier the commencement of World Cup qualifying, erstwhile the Irish volition look Portugal, Hungary and Armenia.

Hallgrimsson's broadside are present unbeaten successful 3 matches and helium wants his squad to transportation that momentum into Tuesday's affable earlier their World Cup bid begins.

"The large happening from this crippled is we tin play apical teams," helium added.

"We are disappointed not to triumph the crippled tonight, and astatine times we made them look an mean team.

"I'm mostly blessed with however we dealt with their possession game, we constricted their goalscoring chances and erstwhile you play bully teams that's an implicit priority.

"If you look astatine wherever we are astatine the moment, and what tally they are connected I deliberation we should beryllium blessed with the show of the players tonight."