IRELAND's 5-2 defeat in Cyprus three years ago killed off his international career, but this week Coventry City striker Clinton Morrison says he hasn't given up hope of wearing the green jersey again. And the 30-year-old is praying that a good run of form with Coventry could be his ticket back to the international scene.

Morrison had a decent scoring record from his time with Ireland, scoring on his debut and overall hitting the net nine times in his 36 appearances. But he is one of the main victims of Ireland's dismal showing in Cyprus under Steve Staunton, as three of the Irish side from that night -- Morrison, Paddy Kenny and Andy O'Brien -- have not played for Ireland since then.

"It was a low point in my Ireland career, we had such good support for the games in Cyprus and we let them down that night with the 5-2. It was definitely a low point, but not being picked for the squad now is also a low point for me," Morrison said.

"We started off well that night but conceded sloppy goals and we were poor, everything Cyprus touched that night seemed to go in, and we just made mistakes. It was one of those games, it happens in football, and as it happens that was my last game for Ireland, I haven't been picked since.

"But the way Ireland have been playing recently, I don't expect any of that again on Saturday, they have a good group now under the manager and everyone knows what they are doing."

The former Birmingham and Crystal Palace man is in form, having scored three goals in five league games for Coventry this season, including a two-goal blast against Roy Keane's Ipswich on the opening day of the new season.

"I speak to Kevin Kilbane quite a bit, we stayed in contact. He speaks to me about it and tells me not to worry about it, I think he feels I should be in the Ireland squad, he says to keep my head down, keep working hard and I should get back in.

"Kevin says the set-up at the moment with Ireland is really good and if I did come in, I would really enjoy it. Trapattoni is doing very well, the team are second in the group and have a chance of winning it, if the team can win in Cyprus on Saturday, which I know they can do, they have a great chance of qualifying.

"Cyprus is always a difficult place to go, so it's a hard game, but this team are playing well under Trapattoni and they have a good chance of getting the win," Morrison added.

- Aidan Fitzmaurice