WHILE IRELAND did not get the result they were looking for, some players can be quite proud of the performance they put in.
Sadly, Serbia just had a bit too much class across the board, and Dušan Tadić really showed that he was a level above everyone else on the pitch, picking up three assists on the night.
But some of the Irish lads can hold their heads high after their performances in Belgrade on Wednesday. Here are our player ratings:
Mark Travers - 3
It seems cruel to give such an inexperienced, young goalkeeper such a low rating, but sadly it was the 21-year-old Kildare man who was responsible for Serbia's second goal, as he was caught miles off his line.
He also looked quite nervous on a number of occasions, refusing to come off his line when he should have. It was a tough night for Travers, but we back him to bounce back.
Matt Doherty - 6
Played in his favoured position, the Spurs man did well to get up and down the pitch, occasionally setting up some chances with his overlapping runs.
Enda Stevens - 6
Similarly to Doherty, Stevens played exactly where he wanted to be played, and though he didn't put a foot wrong at the back, he may be disappointed not to have offered more going forward.
Dara O'Shea - 7
He may have had the odd shaky moment, but it says a lot that such a young man slotted in at centre-back with ease and dealt with some really talented Serbia strikers as best he could.
Ciaran Clark - 5
Given that he has 10 years of experience over O'Shea, it really should have been him marshalling the defence throughout the game, though it felt like O'Shea and Coleman were looking after the Newcastle defender.
Seamus Coleman - 8
Our captain was played in a different position to what he is used to, and was still our best player on the pitch.
He made some excellent sweeping recoveries, and some gorgeous forward passes. We'll really miss him when he's gone.
Josh Cullen - 7
With some lovely crunching tackles, Anderlecht's midfield maestro could have ensured that he is a guaranteed starter going forward, especially in games against tough opposition.
Jayson Molumby - 7
Very energetic, and clearly gave his all for the cause. There was a noticeable drop off in quality when he was replaced by Jeff Hendrick.
Alan Browne - 7
A tough player to rank, as he did very little throughout the game, but scored a gorgeous goal to put us ahead, which drove Irish fans around the world wild.
Aaron Connolly - 6
He was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty, and made a nuisance of himself all game, but sadly didn't come too close to sticking the ball in the back of the net.
His injury record is also something Irish fans should really be concerned about.
Callum Robinson - 6
He was desperately trying to make something happen, and did so for Alan Browne's goal, but sadly offered very little throughout the rest of the game.
An honourable mention for substitutes Shane Long and James Collins who combined for a late consolation goal, and may be in line for a start against Luxembourg.
