Manchester City captain Richard Dunne was left disappointed after the Republic of Ireland's 1-1 draw with Bulgaria in their World Cup qualifier.

It was Dunne who struck for Ireland and he told Sky Sports 1: "They are a good side. They knew how bad a situation it would be for them if they lost - and they made it difficult for us.

"We started really well and really should have been pushing on."

The eventual draw left Dunne equivocal - but still believing Ireland can put Italy in the shade.

"I think for us, we had to keep the seven-point gap - minimum," he added.

"It is a disappointing result - we are disappointed not to get the points - but we are still in a good position.

"We've said all along we don't fear Italy, so we feel we can go there on Wednesday and get a result."