NIALL O'BRIEN'S brilliance and bravery won the respect of the world's best wicketkeeper-batsman last night after Ireland flirted with World Twenty20 glory.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara paid a lavish tribute to the Ireland gloveman's four dismissals and an innings of 30 that he compiled through the pain of a torn ankle tendon.

O'Brien fell just short of guiding his country to a result to match the seminal World Cup win over Pakistan two years ago, but Sangakkara said: 'It was a great performance. The way he keeps is absolutely brilliant and he is a very good batsman too.

'It is very unfortunate that he is struggling with an injury throughout the tournament.

'The way Ireland played should be very encouraging for them as a team and as a cricketing nation – I hope they will get stronger and stronger as more and more people play the game.'

Ireland captain William Porterfield admitted that O'Brien's cruel luck – after his injury relapse the keeper could only run gingerly between the wickets – had dealt his team a blow from which they could not recover.

However, he was completely satisfied with their efforts in finishing just nine runs short of Sri Lanka's score of 144.

'The lads gave everything and that's all we asked for before the game – to stick to our guns, give everything in the field and recreate the intensity we had in the Bangladesh game,' said Porterfield, who came out of a form slump to hit a quickfire 30.

'We're obviously a bit disappointed we lost the game but you could go round the dressing room asking everyone if they could have given anything more. We pretty much gave everything we could.

'To restrict a side like Sri Lanka to 140 was a fantastic effort, we took some good catches and fielded really well and there was credit to every bowler.

'I thought we batted really well, too, and we just came up short in the end. We will take all the positives from today and a lot of confidence into the Pakistan game.'

Porterfield conceded that the only difference between the teams on the day was the presence in the Lankan ranks of three exceptional, unique and beguiling bowlers – Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga, whose textbook yorkers accounted for Trent Johnston and Andre Botha in successive balls.

'If you go into the last few overs needing 12 an over and Malinga is hitting his yorkers the way he was, it's not going to be easy to get those runs,' said the skipper.

'All credit to them for the way they bowled – they have three world-class bowlers and it wasn't easy.

'The way we have progressed throughout this tournament and learned things and improved game by game – although it might not always have looked like it – will give us a lot of confidence to take into the last game.

'We came into the Super Eights targeting at least one win and this is our last game. It's no motivation to us whether we put another side out of the tournament or not.'

Porterfield confessed it was 'unlikely' O'Brien would see out the campaign this afternoon after a recurrence of an injury that saw him sit out of the engagement with India at Trent Bridge.