THE TALK BEFORE this game was of the Republic of Ireland players needing to shed some of the “scar tissue” of the last international window.
Just when it looked like Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side would come away unscathed and earn an impressive 0-0 draw in Linz, Austria capitalised on what has become a familiar failing in this Nations League campaign.
Ireland just cannot see a game out.
Worse, they were undone from a 78th-minute set piece in which they made the first contact. Dara O’Shea could only head Romano Schmid’s corner towards the back post. Michael Gregoritsch nodded it back into danger with Liam Scales unable to block.
The ball trickled along the goal line, James Abankwah saw the long, looping legs of Sasa Kalajdzic coming from a distance. The Ireland defender strained to get there first but was helpless as the Austrian substitute poked in.
🇦🇹 1-0 🇮🇪
It's a scrappy lead goal for Austria after Ireland gave away an unnecessary corner. Sasa Kalajdzic taps home from close range
📺 Watch Austria v Ireland live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player https://t.co/61ldfjlqBx
Just like Dublin it was their bench that made the difference. One of Hallgrímsson’s subs, Chiedoize Ogbene, almost rescued a point with a glancing header on the run with three minutes of normal time remaining.
The connection sweet but direction just off, straight at Alexander Schlager whose fine reaction save was celebrated by most of the 16,700 fans here.
Only the 1,800 or so in the left corner behind that goal were left anguished.
Austria's Sasa Kalajdzic celebrates after scoring his side's first goal of the match. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
A reminder, Ireland conceded at the death in Kosovo to lose, twice in the second half against Austria in Dublin to let a 2-0 lead slip away, and once when Israel levelled in Serbia for a draw.
Concern
The trend goes on and will be a concern going into what is a must-win game with Kosovo in Dublin on Tuesday if Ireland are to book a play-off place and escape League B.
Continued defensive lapses at crucial moments like this will leave us in this purgatory. Hallgrímsson referenced an emphasis on a “growth mindset” before this game, and it’s clear where the work is needed.
The names of the Ireland players were peeling off the back of their jerseys from early on in the first half.
The G in Manning was split.
Adam Idah became Dah.
Jayson Molumby had the vibe of a Turkish star circa 2000 as Olum.
Troy Parrott lost that last T.
Everything remained intact for Hallgrímsson’s team until that dreadful moment from the set piece which decided the outcome.
They didn’t fall apart after some early signs of Austrian quality with runners from midfield causing danger in the box.
On three minutes Caoimhín Kelleher had to get down low to his left to tip Christoph Baumgartner’s shot wide after Nathan Collins stretched to deflect it.
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Another example of the home side’s desire to make a running game count in their favour came when Cristoph Lang advanced into the area after some neat play to create the opening.
Liam Scales was alert, though, and his excellent interception struck the left sided attacker in the chest and fell into the grateful arms of Kelleher.
This was inside the opening quarter of an hour and there were flashbacks to the disjointed display which began this campaign away to Kosovo.
Credit
To Ireland’s immense credit they did not wilt. With Jayson Molumby and Finn Azaz in deeper central roles they began to get on the ball. Jack Moylan – Super Jack as the Ireland fans sang throughout – was instrumental in the first glimpse of quality.
He took possession of a looping ball under pressure on the right, showed strength to hold off two men, cleverness to spin away and get turned in the direction of goal, then timing to tee up the rampaging Abankwah whose cross into the area was ultimately cleared.
Ireland were in business on the 20-minute mark and while they didn’t make a breakthrough before the half-time break there were moments that would have made that team talk from Hallgrímsson one of optimism.
He spoke the day before the game about his team being courageous and called the starting XI “sexy” in a pre-match interview.
Had Parrott’s attempt at a bicycle kick from 16 yards flashed in instead of being saved by goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, that would have truly lived up to the sexy billing.
The Real Betis striker had another shot from 25 yards that was tipped over the bar and Ireland were also sustaining pressure in the final third with his link-up play alongside Idah impressive at times.
A reminder of Austria’s threat came on 35 minutes when Kelleher again denied Lang with a fine save when the attacker got free from 16 yards after a sharp counter-attack.
Control
Approaching the hour mark, with the game scoreless, Ireland did not possess the same level of threat as they had before the interval. Austria, it seemed, were asserting control.
Baumgartner made another advance as far as the six-yard box, shooting from the left corner and denied again by Kelleher. Only a matter of seconds later he sprinted into an almost identical position on the other side but sliced his left-footed effort wide.
Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick also showed his hand on 60 minutes by introducing the imposing presence of Kalajdzic in a central attacking position, supporting Michael Gregoritsch.
It would prove fatal for Ireland.
Lang was the one to make way as Austria sensed weakness in Ireland. And then came a moment the momentum could have swung back in the away side’s favour.
Parrott’s sharp step over and shot from the left of the box was parried by the goalkeeper with Idah advancing onto the rebound. It looked to be at an awkward height and the connection was skied over the bar.
It was the striker’s last action, replaced almost straight away as part of a triple substitution. Chiedozie Ogbene was introduced alongside Harvey Vale in midfield and Jake O’Brien at the back.
Manning and Moylan made way, and Kelleher then needed to produce another flying, fingertip save from a Gregoritsch shot 18 yards out after Ireland were caught out with a short set-piece.
The game was in the balance going into the final quarter.
And then came the sickener, a dose of what is becoming a familiar source of agony.
Austria:Alexander Schlager, Stefan Posch (Raul Florucz 76), Philipp Lienhart, Kevin Danso, Phillipp Mwene; Nicolas Seiwald, Christoph Baumgartner (Sascha Horvath 76), Konrad Laimer (captain); Romano Schmid (David Affengruber 90), Christoph Lang (Sasa Kalajdzic 60), Michael Gregoritsch.
Republic of Ireland:Caoimhín Kelleher; James Abankwah(Bosun Lawal 79), Dara O’Shea, Nathan Collins (captain), Liam Scales, Ryan Manning (Jake O’Brien 69); Finn Azaz, Jayson Molumby, Jack Moylan (Harvey Vale 69); Adam Idah (Chiedozie Ogbene 69), Troy Parrott.
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Ireland suffer a familar dose of late pain in Austria
Austria 1
Republic of Ireland 0
THE TALK BEFORE this game was of the Republic of Ireland players needing to shed some of the “scar tissue” of the last international window.
Just when it looked like Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side would come away unscathed and earn an impressive 0-0 draw in Linz, Austria capitalised on what has become a familiar failing in this Nations League campaign.
Ireland just cannot see a game out.
Worse, they were undone from a 78th-minute set piece in which they made the first contact. Dara O’Shea could only head Romano Schmid’s corner towards the back post. Michael Gregoritsch nodded it back into danger with Liam Scales unable to block.
The ball trickled along the goal line, James Abankwah saw the long, looping legs of Sasa Kalajdzic coming from a distance. The Ireland defender strained to get there first but was helpless as the Austrian substitute poked in.
Just like Dublin it was their bench that made the difference. One of Hallgrímsson’s subs, Chiedoize Ogbene, almost rescued a point with a glancing header on the run with three minutes of normal time remaining.
The connection sweet but direction just off, straight at Alexander Schlager whose fine reaction save was celebrated by most of the 16,700 fans here.
Only the 1,800 or so in the left corner behind that goal were left anguished.
A reminder, Ireland conceded at the death in Kosovo to lose, twice in the second half against Austria in Dublin to let a 2-0 lead slip away, and once when Israel levelled in Serbia for a draw.
Concern
The trend goes on and will be a concern going into what is a must-win game with Kosovo in Dublin on Tuesday if Ireland are to book a play-off place and escape League B.
Continued defensive lapses at crucial moments like this will leave us in this purgatory. Hallgrímsson referenced an emphasis on a “growth mindset” before this game, and it’s clear where the work is needed.
The names of the Ireland players were peeling off the back of their jerseys from early on in the first half.
The G in Manning was split.
Adam Idah became Dah.
Jayson Molumby had the vibe of a Turkish star circa 2000 as Olum.
Troy Parrott lost that last T.
Everything remained intact for Hallgrímsson’s team until that dreadful moment from the set piece which decided the outcome.
They didn’t fall apart after some early signs of Austrian quality with runners from midfield causing danger in the box.
On three minutes Caoimhín Kelleher had to get down low to his left to tip Christoph Baumgartner’s shot wide after Nathan Collins stretched to deflect it.
Another example of the home side’s desire to make a running game count in their favour came when Cristoph Lang advanced into the area after some neat play to create the opening.
Liam Scales was alert, though, and his excellent interception struck the left sided attacker in the chest and fell into the grateful arms of Kelleher.
This was inside the opening quarter of an hour and there were flashbacks to the disjointed display which began this campaign away to Kosovo.
Credit
To Ireland’s immense credit they did not wilt. With Jayson Molumby and Finn Azaz in deeper central roles they began to get on the ball. Jack Moylan – Super Jack as the Ireland fans sang throughout – was instrumental in the first glimpse of quality.
He took possession of a looping ball under pressure on the right, showed strength to hold off two men, cleverness to spin away and get turned in the direction of goal, then timing to tee up the rampaging Abankwah whose cross into the area was ultimately cleared.
Ireland were in business on the 20-minute mark and while they didn’t make a breakthrough before the half-time break there were moments that would have made that team talk from Hallgrímsson one of optimism.
He spoke the day before the game about his team being courageous and called the starting XI “sexy” in a pre-match interview.
Had Parrott’s attempt at a bicycle kick from 16 yards flashed in instead of being saved by goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, that would have truly lived up to the sexy billing.
The Real Betis striker had another shot from 25 yards that was tipped over the bar and Ireland were also sustaining pressure in the final third with his link-up play alongside Idah impressive at times.
A reminder of Austria’s threat came on 35 minutes when Kelleher again denied Lang with a fine save when the attacker got free from 16 yards after a sharp counter-attack.
Control
Approaching the hour mark, with the game scoreless, Ireland did not possess the same level of threat as they had before the interval. Austria, it seemed, were asserting control.
Baumgartner made another advance as far as the six-yard box, shooting from the left corner and denied again by Kelleher. Only a matter of seconds later he sprinted into an almost identical position on the other side but sliced his left-footed effort wide.
Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick also showed his hand on 60 minutes by introducing the imposing presence of Kalajdzic in a central attacking position, supporting Michael Gregoritsch.
It would prove fatal for Ireland.
Lang was the one to make way as Austria sensed weakness in Ireland. And then came a moment the momentum could have swung back in the away side’s favour.
Parrott’s sharp step over and shot from the left of the box was parried by the goalkeeper with Idah advancing onto the rebound. It looked to be at an awkward height and the connection was skied over the bar.
It was the striker’s last action, replaced almost straight away as part of a triple substitution. Chiedozie Ogbene was introduced alongside Harvey Vale in midfield and Jake O’Brien at the back.
Manning and Moylan made way, and Kelleher then needed to produce another flying, fingertip save from a Gregoritsch shot 18 yards out after Ireland were caught out with a short set-piece.
The game was in the balance going into the final quarter.
And then came the sickener, a dose of what is becoming a familiar source of agony.
Austria: Alexander Schlager, Stefan Posch (Raul Florucz 76), Philipp Lienhart, Kevin Danso, Phillipp Mwene; Nicolas Seiwald, Christoph Baumgartner (Sascha Horvath 76), Konrad Laimer (captain); Romano Schmid (David Affengruber 90), Christoph Lang (Sasa Kalajdzic 60), Michael Gregoritsch.
Republic of Ireland: Caoimhín Kelleher; James Abankwah(Bosun Lawal 79), Dara O’Shea, Nathan Collins (captain), Liam Scales, Ryan Manning (Jake O’Brien 69); Finn Azaz, Jayson Molumby, Jack Moylan (Harvey Vale 69); Adam Idah (Chiedozie Ogbene 69), Troy Parrott.
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