MICK McCarthy last night took responsibility for the tactical error which rebounded so extensively on his team in the last half hour of last night's game.

In an effort to protect a 1-1 scoreline, he withdrew one of his midfielders to defence and indirectly opened the floodgates to Shay Given's goal.

"I tried to batten down the hatches but as it happened, it merely had the effect of opening up the game", he said.

"This was the best team we have played against since I took charge and remember the Dutch were playing on their home patch.

"We created some good chances but in the end there were some very tired legs in our team. Holland were every bit as good as I expected but I was still delighted with many aspects of our performance.

"The Dutch, I believe, will win their group in the European finals. They are a very good team and are prepared to take risks at the back in order to score.

That's the sign of a confident side and they'll do well in England.

"I could have come out here, named all the senior players in my team, got the same result and learned nothing.

"To that extent I am satisfied that the game served its purpose from our point of view and I think the youngsters in the team will be all the better for it in the games ahead."

Gary Breen making only his third appearance in an Ireland shirt was suitably jubilant in getting his name on the scoresheet but then quickly took responsibility for Holland's first goal.

"Bergkamp's shot was going nowhere until I tried to block it," he said.

Unfortunately, it just caught the side of my boot and spun up to give Shay (Given) no chance.

"For the first hour or so we were comfortable but then began to make mistakes and were punished. Maybe it was fatigue or, perhaps the changed formation had something to do with it but at some stage soon we've got to eliminate the gaffes."

For Given it was another highly rewarding day. Reproducing the assured handling which has earned him such a high rating since coming into the team in March, he again earned the admiration of even the opposition supporters with a series of fine saves to keep his team in contention.

"It was my busiest night for Ireland so far," he said. "In the last half hour they were pouring through midfield and there were a lot of shots on goal. I thought there second goal was, offside but overall we probably learned more from the game than the Dutch. It was disappointing to concede three goals but hopefully I'll soon have a clean sheet to show for Ireland."

Alan Kernaghan confirmed that he was told of his promotion to captaincy only minutes before the team left their hotel. "I've never been more proud and I like to think that our performance in the game proves that Mick McCarthy is on the right track in his efforts to rebuild the team.

"We certainly created more chances than when we played Holland at Anfield last December but in the end three games in a week probably took its toll.

"The Dutch are something special. Their players are drawn from some of Europe's biggest clubs and it was certainly a challenge for me, coming from the Pontins League to play in a game like this.

"It made up for some of the disappointment I've had in the last season and yes, you could say it was one of the more satisfying experiences I've had in an Ireland shirt."

Commenting on McCarthy's new emphasis on possession football Alan McLoughlin said: "The Dutch have been practising this type of game for 20 years. We've only been at it for three games but I don't think the neutral fans would hake guessed it from the difference between the two teams tonight.

"Bergkamp is an exceptional player, dropping off defenders and bringing his team mates into play. But he would be the first to admit that his goal was down to luck as much as anything else.

"It's all part of a new learning curve and the day is not far off when we will be celebrating our first win under Mick McCarthy."