WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: "I can tell ya," said Gerry Smith, "if we're going home it's going to be with the biggest fight ever, because these boys want to be still knocking around here in a week or two. I cannot tell you how proud I am of them, unbelievably proud."

Animated, breathless, exhausted, Smith gushed about his players who, he said: "Showed tremendous character, resilience and resistance, great enthusiasm, great spirit, to come back - twice.

"If the Ivory Coast had done that against any other team the match would have been over, I don't think anyone else would have been able to stay with them - their pace, their movement, their passing, their sharpness, brilliant.

"A great game for the neutral, but I tell you something," he said, punching his heart, "not good for me.

"The early part of the game? Not good, not good. Very quick, very pacy, an exciting team, quality all over the park, we just couldn't get to grips with them early on and when they got the goal after 12 minutes it looked like trouble.

"But we had great fellas digging in deep, and we dug very, VERY deep as a team. Got our goal back. To go in at half-time at 1-1? We were very, very happy.

"But they started off like a house on fire again, it took us about 15 minutes to find our bearings, but when we got going we were alright.

"Began to pass it again, but then the sucker punch, the goal, and there we were again, having to dig deep.

"And again, that would have put most teams away, but we got more resilience, that's what we have in this team.

"I tell you, I'm so proud of them coming back twice, in these conditions, in this climate.

"These boys (Ivory Coast) are all playing at good clubs in Europe - Belgium, Holland, France, Italy - so it's no mean achievement to come back against them twice and draw 2-2.

"I think a draw was the fair result and I think they did too, particularly because they lost their goalie with 15 minutes to go.

"Eamon Zayed worked so hard it was untrue. And I'm delighted for Stephen Elliott again, another goal.

"It wasn't one of Stephen's electrifying games, but he worked so hard and didn't get a lot of change from those fellas at the back, but there he was again, up he pops, and gets his goal.

"Great finish, but that's Stephen, he just has that natural instinct, he's just a brilliant piece of stuff. A great lad."

The other goalscoring Stephen? "I just managed to lose my marker in the box and John Fitzgerald got a tiny touch on the ball and I just put it home, very happy," said Stephen Paisley.

"Could have got the winner at the end too. The ball just dropped on my foot, I don't even know how it ended up there, the 'keeper just dived, I couldn't get it over him.

"It was a great experience playing against them, very different to what I'm used to, they turn so fast, small too, a low centre of gravity, but I thought we did okay."

Your last game before tonight? "That would have been for Longford against Pat's, at Flancare Park. It was lashing too, a bit different to tonight.

"Thrilled to play, it means an awful lot. We're happy enough.

"We've got a very good chance of getting out of the group, just get something from the next game and we should be okay."

"We had the match in our hands, we threw it away," said Ivory Coast coach Mama Ouattara.

"The Irish used their physical advantage well, especially from free kicks, that's their strength. But considering we were down to 10 men, I'm satisfied with the result."

A draw in their final games on Friday will guarantee Ireland and the Ivory Coast a top two finish in the group and a place in the second round.

At which point Mama and Gerry will be happy men.