Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has now won two of the five matches for which he has been in charge, but the fact that Ireland have tasted victory just eight times in their last 34 competitive outings fixtures serves as a reminder that they remain a work in progress. Evan Ferguson (centre right) heads home the winner (Brian Lawless/PA)Striker Benjamin Kallman acrobatically headed just wide from an Antman cross and was then denied one-on-one by Kelleher, and Hradecky had to tip over Szmodics’ well-struck effort after he had muscled defender Arttu Hoskonen off the ball. Johnston tricked his way past Alho once again and chipped the most teasing of crosses into the box for Ferguson to head home from close range. Johnston went just wide after cutting inside Lod from Doherty’s driven pass, but Kelleher was relieved to see Pohjanpalo steer a first-time shot just over from fellow substitute Daniel O’Shaughnessy – his father was born in Ireland – with 22 minutes remaining. Ferguson’s evening took a turn for the worse with 14 minutes remaining when, after a VAR review, he was adjudged to have blocked O’Shaughnessy’s hooked attempt with his arm and German referee Harm Osmers belatedly pointed to the spot.

Source: The Herald November 14, 2024 22:12 UTC