It was a long wait for a win of any kind, especially one away from home in the Nations League, but the Republic of Ireland’s goalscoring hero Liam Scales wants to instil a winning mentality in the Irish side after such a barren spell.
Celtic defender Scales claimed the goal which saw the Republic equalise in Helsinki, with Robbie Brady then getting on the end of a Festy Ebosele cross to seal a rare win, giving the Irish panel a shot of confidence ahead of tomorrow’s test in Athens.
The mentality of the squad has been questioned, at the end of Stephen Kenny’s reign and under successor Heimir Hallgrímsson, but Scales says the second-half response from the Irish made a statement.
“That was the word used at half-time, character. We knew we had to show character,” Scales said.
“We knew the game was there to win, or at least get a point, but we obviously wanted to win. We want to make that a common occurrence, winning big games, winning games away from home, winning at home as well, obviously. Hopefully we can take that mentality into the next few games.
“Greece away is obviously a tough fixture, we have struggled against them in the past, but we are going in on a high now and we need to make this a mentality, a winning mentality, that we can go away to tough places and take wins.
“That’s how you are going to qualify for tournaments. So that’s the way we need to look at this game. We have played them enough to know what they are like and it’s just about going out there and being solid, and hopefully winning the game.
“It takes time, especially in these international windows. Everyone is away with their clubs. Then you come back in and you only have a couple of days before your first game to really get your plans across, and he (Hallgrímsson) did that in the first camp well. But I think for us it has just taken us that little bit of extra time to change the way we play to how he wants us to play.
“This camp, the training sessions, everything, we have all felt the improvement, purely because of the time spent with the manager and his staff. We are having our meetings and we are learning about how we can be better and what we can do to improve.”
A defender by trade, Scales has now delivered goals on the big stage for club and country in recent weeks; Brady the provider in Helsinki during Thursday’s match.
“You know the delivery is going to be brilliant from Rob, so we are just told to attack the spaces in between the defenders, and that’s what I did. Luckily it came into my area and it was just a perfect ball. The timing was good and I just managed to get it on target,” Scales added.
“I think it comes with a bit of experience as well. Sometimes I play against defenders who are heavier and stronger, and you need to make use of your timing and speed to win those duels. I’m learning as I go along. I might now go on a big drought, you never know. Sometimes the goals can come together and then you don’t get any for a while. But if I can make the most of the chances I get, then I’ll be happy.
“That’s a few this season. I’ve got a few this season and I didn’t get many in the couple of seasons before, so it’s a good thing to add to my game and hopefully I can kick on now and get a few more.
“I suppose I work hard in the gym, so I’m stronger, but I think it’s more about timing and delivery, and just getting it right and making sure you take the chance when you get it, because you don’t get many as a defender and it can be vital in big games, it can be a turning point for us.”