“It’s been a fantastic experience, this competition.” said the Irishman. “Different challenges against top opposition and the lads have stood up to the test by getting nine points out of a possible 12, a decent return.
“We knew we needed to play as a team to get anything from the game, and I think that was evident. I’m delighted, and again this was a great experience for these young players in terms of the expectation to mature early in football, so I’m really happy and pleased with our run in the tournament so far; the player’s approach to it has been excellent and we’ll have made a massive gain from these last few weeks.
“We played well in spells against Dinamo Zagreb on Saturday, but that was a different type of challenge. I was delighted with the lads’ commitment, the character in the group is there for everyone to see - we’ve had ups and downs as a group, but we’ve stood together tonight and came together tonight as a team.”
McCarthy’s focus on playing as a team was evidenced, as the side managed to come from behind after conceding early on, but also waxed lyrical about both Seán Grehan and captain Jack Wells-Morrison.
