A hero on his international debut just a few months ago, Paul McShane dismissed any suggestion he might be viewed as a villain after Ireland narrowly avoided humiliation in San Marino last night.

The 20-year-old West Brom defender was calm in his assessment of the Republic of Ireland's performance and frank in his admission of culpability for the home side's goal. However, he insisted the team had to collectively learn from their failings at the Serravalle Stadium and take some consolation from the fact they emerged from an unexpectedly difficult night with all three points.

"The fact is nobody died," he said, "and while the performance wasn't good enough we have won. Nobody's celebrating, it's been a disappointing night and for everybody back at home. With the talent we have available to us we should have beaten them 10-0 but if we hadn't got the goal at the end then things would have been a lot worse. As it is we have the points and now we have to crack on and make sure we play a lot better against Wales in Croke Park."

The late San Marino goal that almost earned the home side their first ever point in the European Championships was, he admitted, down to a basic lack of communication between himself and his goalkeeper.

"The ball was played over the top, I thought I could get it and Wayne (Henderson) was 100 per cent he could but we both went for it and ended up colliding. Even then, the lad (Manuel Marani) didn't get a clean strike at the ball but it went through my legs and crept in. It was a terrible moment."

McShane, though, insisted he would put the error down to experience and move on. "I like to experience everything in football and I suppose this was something different than I have to take something from. My first game against the Czechs was a great experience and then there was the big win over these in Dublin.

"Tonight was different. I was only on for 45 minutes and they put everyone behind the ball. We struggled to create decent chances and even the ones we created we couldn't seem to put away but, as I've said, all you can do is pick yourself and move on. We've won the game, not in the way we would have wanted or the way we know we should have, but we've taken the three points and that is the most important thing."