Ireland had a chance to go top of the World Cup qualifying group tonight but rather than take three points from the Serbia match, a defeat at the Aviva Stadium coupled with a Wales win in Moldova has seen the Boys in Green drop down to third.
Kevin Kilbane was part of our live Off The Ball commentary team at the Aviva Stadium and he summed up the action.
"It was a comfortable evening for Serbia defensively," he said of a match in which Martin O'Neill's side struggled to create chances.
"It was really, really flat in the second half. All the chances just came from long balls forward. Just not good enough, it has to be said. Not good enough."
Even when Serbia went down to 10 men in the second half, a lack of guile was evident.
Serbia’s Aleksandar Kolarov celebrates scoring his sides first goal ©INPHO/Tommy Dickson
"As soon as Hoolahan went off, it took that creativity out of the side. We were always going to go one way, route one and it just didn't come to anything with very few chances created. The chances we did create just came from a punt forward."
He added: "It was just a flat night in the second half. It's probably been coming it has to be said. Throughout this campaign that result has been coming for us."
With Seamus Coleman still absent as he recovers from the broken leg sustained in March, Cyrus Christie again deputised at right back but did not impress as Kevin outlined.
"We missed [Coleman's] leadership and I don't want to get on the back of Christie. When Serbia went down to 10 men he had no involvement in the game. He was just quite content to stay wide, didn't demand the ball at any stage throughout and I think that was probably one of the things where we looked at him in the first half and thought he's a player that can get at Kolarov. He's got the pace and ability to get beyond him," he said.
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