Euro 2008: Slovakian team members have admitted that last night's 3-0 home defeat to the Czech Republic in their Euro 2008 qualifier was a real wake-up call and improvement is needed if they are to emerge from the Repuclic of Ireland's group.

The home team had high hopes after beating Cyprus 6-1 in their opening qualifier on Saturday, but the players admitted their neighbours were a class apart.

"I don't know how many out of 10 matches against this team we would be able to win. We have to learn a lot from this defeat. The Czechs demonstrated they are on a different level," said midfielder Ivan Hodur.

Attacking midfielder Marek Mintal, the Bundesliga's top scorer in the 2004-2005 season, said the Slovaks now had to learn from their mistakes and focus on the coming matches.

"This lesson came very soon. We were in some kind of euphoria after this year's great results, so maybe this slap was needed," Mintal told the local official news agency TASR.

"Qualification is a very long process. We will play many more matches and anything can happen. The Czech lesson brought us down to earth."

The Czechs beat their former federation partner, with whom they won the European Championship 30 years ago, after midfielder Libor Sionko scored a brace and set up the third for forward Jan Koller.

Steve Staunton's Irish side face Slovakia in March and September next year, with the first game taking place in Croke Park.