Robbie Keane says Republic of Ireland will continue to battle for a place at France 2016

Robbie Keane has warned the Republic of Ireland's Group D rivals that the team will continue to fight until the last minute of every match in their quest for a place at next year's European Championships.

Substitute Shane Long's stoppage-time goal denied group leaders Poland victory and secured a 1-1 draw at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday evening.

It was the third time in five qualifiers that Martin O'Neill's men had struck a blow in the dying embers, with John O'Shea snatching a draw in Germany in October with a 94th-minute effort after Aiden McGeady's last-minute winner in Georgia a month earlier.

To get that goal at the end was certainly a relief as it was certainly well deserved. It would have been a travesty if we didn't get something out of the game.

Asked if a draw with the Poles in Dublin represented two points dropped, captain Keane said: "No. When you go a goal behind and you score in the last few minutes of the game, it's certainly a point gained.

"If we had scored earlier, maybe so, if we'd continue to play the way we did in the second half. But when you score a goal in the last few minutes, it's certainly a point gained.

"It will give us confidence as well going into the next game, knowing that we can keep going and fighting until the very end and get something out of the game."

Ireland's hopes of qualification looked like taking a knock as Poland held onto the one-goal lead provided by Slawomir Peszko's near-post strike in the first half.

'Difficult'

Visiting keeper Lukasz Fabianski preserved the advantage, twice with the help of the woodwork, before Long struck from close range in the opening minute of added-on time.

"Of course, it certainly gives us confidence," Keane said of the comeback result. "You look at the effort from the players fitness-wise, everyone closing down the defenders and closing down the midfielders and how hard we made it in the second half for Poland.

"We have to give ourselves a lot of credit. When you go a goal behind against anybody, it's always difficult, and when you are chasing the game and chasing the game, you feel like it's not going to come.

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"To get that goal at the end was certainly a relief because it was certainly well deserved. It would have been a travesty if we didn't get something out of the game."

The Republic were less than impressive before the break as they struggled to gain a foothold in the game, and it was not until Wes Hoolahan was moved from his No 10 role to the left flank, in the process freeing up Jon Walters to join Keane in attack, that the tide changed.

"You saw the desperation for us to get back into that game and, thankfully, we did," added Keane. 

“We were unlucky a couple of times just before that. If we'd have got the early goal, I think we would have put a lot of pressure on them and I think we probably would have gone on and nicked it."

The draw leaves Ireland still three points adrift of Poland and two behind Germany and Scotland.