Republic of Ireland were held to a 0-0 draw by North Macedonia in a friendly, with Troy Parrott accepting responsibility after missing several clear chances and an emotional Seamus Coleman appearance drawing attention as questions grew over whether the 37-year-old had played the final match of an extended international career.
Both countries came into the Aviva Stadium clash still dealing with World Cup disappointment, having lost their respective play-off semi-finals the previous week, while this fixture took place at the same time as the FIFA World Cup finals, giving the encounter a flat backdrop despite several opportunities for a winner.
Parrott had multiple openings during the first half and early in the second, heading straight at goalkeeper
Stole Dimitrievski from a promising position, slicing wide after a poor touch by Darko Velkovski, seeing a close-range finish disallowed for a marginal offside decision just before half-time, then striking the woodwork shortly after the break.
Reflecting on the performance, Parrott did not shy away from criticism of the finishing displayed, saying to RTE: "To be honest, I probably put some of the blame on myself. I had a lot of chances to score and I didn't. It wasn't good enough in front of goal. "
Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson felt Ireland improved after the interval as the team adjusted the pressing strategy, explaining on RTE: "I think we grew as the game went on, they wanted to lower the tempo as much as they could. First half, they dropped really deep and it was difficult to press. Second half, we just decided to go a little bit higher and that caused them problems, maybe we should have done that earlier. Second half was good, we should have scored and we had chances. "
The encounter slowed noticeably after half-time because of frequent substitutions on both sides, yet Ireland still generated late opportunities, with Johnny Kenny and Adam Idah each missing presentable chances as North Macedonia held on for the clean sheet and the match faded towards a cautious finish.
Emotional context around Republic of Ireland goalless draw
Pre-match attention at the Aviva Stadium also centred on Coleman, whose family joined Coleman on the pitch before kick-off, prompting debate that the Everton full-back might retire from international duty after Ireland failed to reach this year's World Cup, though Hallgrimsson stressed that no final call had been made.
Discussing Coleman's situation, Hallgrimsson said: "We had a good talk, all of us, we want him to be here as long as he can. Obviously, it is always going to be his decision and connected to what he does with his club. Our desire is to keep him, he is really important for this squad and for the young players and anyone to play next to him, will help them grow. He is a good player and shows a good performance game after game at an international level, so why should he retire?"
The match statistics reflected Ireland's attacking intent despite the scoreline, with more clear chances created but no breakthrough, underlining the frustration voiced by both Parrott and Hallgrimsson after the final whistle.
A campaign we'll never forget Thank you for being with us pic.twitter.com/piwXjXgPJvIreland Football (@IrelandFootball) March 31, 2026
Parrott remained frustrated by the narrow offside decision that ruled out the first-half goal, adding: "I think it wasn't offside, that is the way it goes. No VAR and the one I actually do score is onside. It is a shame and tonight wasn't to be. "
The goalless draw left Ireland and North Macedonia still searching for momentum after recent World Cup play-off exits, with missed chances, tactical adjustment and ongoing uncertainty about Coleman's international future combining to frame a quiet friendly that nonetheless carried significant meaning within both squads.
