IN THE not-too-distant past, Ireland were a perennially old team.
At back-to-back Euros in 2012 and 2016, the Boys in Green named the oldest squads at the tournament.
Going back years, there was a tendency towards conservatism in Irish football — often, players had to wait until their mid-to-late 20s for a debut, and for some critics, there was too much of a reliance on a core group of experienced players whose displays did not always befit their status as automatic selections.
Tonight, as the FAI’s Twitter account pointed out, the average age of the team was remarkably low at 23.6, with Ferguson the youngest and headline name in the XI.
There was talk beforehand that Ireland could have done without this game and that they would have avoided it had they not been contractually obliged to fulfill the fixture.
However, the prospect of giving Evan Ferguson a full debut in less pressurised circumstances than a home qualifier against the World Cup runners-up arguably alone made it a worthwhile endeavour.
The Brighton striker came into this game on the back of two superbly finished goals against Grimsby Town in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday, taking his overall tally at club level to seven goals in 16 appearances.
The Meath native consequently went into this game as the top-scoring teenager for a Premier League club across all competitions this season.
Already, a memorable campaign has seen Ferguson become the youngest Irish international to score a Premier League goal and the level of expectation around the ex-Bohemians player has only grown from there.
The inevitable hype that greeted the chance to see Ferguson an Irish jersey from the outset for the first time seemed almost impossible to live up to, as the youngster took to the field to loud cheers.
Up front, Ferguson was paired with Michael Obafemi — the man whose record he eclipsed to become the youngest Irish Premier League goalscorer.
Behind him, Will Smallbone, Jason Molumby and Alan Browne lined out in ostensibly the most attack-minded Ireland midfield in quite some time, while Matt Doherty and Callum O’Dowda provided width on the flanks.
John Egan’s absence, meanwhile, meant Nathan Collins was given a rare chance to operate in the centre of a back three, where he operated so impressively and scored a wonder goal during last year’s Nations League 1-1 draw with Ukraine.
Ferguson had a couple of decent layoffs early on as Ireland patiently attempted to play their way into the game against a Latvia team that was as defensively stubborn as expected.
But when the first goal came as early as the sixth minute, the teenager had a minor role, laying it to Matt Doherty on the right. The Atletico star cut back to Will Smallbone, whose looping cross was headed home by the onrushing Callum O’Dowda.
This early advantage was the confidence boost Ireland and Ferguson needed and shortly thereafter, the young striker made a clever run to latch on to Matt Doherty’s through pass, though Latvia’s Kristers Tobers timed his tackle perfectly to concede the corner.
There was a slight swagger about Ireland now, and Ferguson didn’t quite properly catch an audacious pot shot from distance that sailed well over the bar.
Then, on 17 minutes, came the loudest cheer of the night.
What a moment for Evan Ferguson! 💚#COYBIG | #WeAreOne | #IRLLATpic.twitter.com/2uEjQVQAAS
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) March 22, 2023
Latvia goalkeeper Pavels Steinbors could not deal with a hanging Matt Doherty cross, it fell to Obafemi whose tap across goal was converted at close range by Ferguson in what may well be the first of many in an Ireland shirt.
In addition, it felt like the ideal version of the football Kenny has been trying to introduce over the course of nearly three years in charge. It started from the back with good work in the build-up and calmness under pressure demonstrated by both Collins and Molumby, before the Brighton youngster provided the cutting edge that Ireland so often have been accused of lacking since the former Dundalk boss took charge.
It also meant that at 18 years and 154 days, Ferguson became Ireland’s youngest scorer since Robbie Keane in 1998 against Malta — surely not the only landmark of the Tallaght native’s that the heir apparent will be looking to get close to.
As the half wore on though, Ireland did not have it their own way, with Roberts Uldrikis’ thunderbolt from distance reducing the deficit and getting Latvia back into the game.
It went from bad to worse as another pot shot, this time from Arturs Zijuzins, found the back of the net.
The equaliser came from a couple of errors, both O’Shea and O’Dowda went for the same ball and their attempts to clear only played it straight into the path of Zijuzins. From there, Caoimhin Kelleher — given a rare chance to impress instead of Gavin Bazunu — could only help the ball into the net in a moment the Liverpool goalkeeper will feel he should have done better on.
It was a half of football that perhaps highlighted both the pros and cons of Kenny’s faith in youth. There was a freshness, brio, and creativity to the Irish attack seldom seen at the Aviva in recent years.
On the other hand, not for the first time under Kenny, Ireland looked like a naive young side in the way they allowed Latvia back into the game.
They surrendered what had looked a comfortable two-goal lead, affording their opponents far too much space and conceding with two strikes from distance — another unfortunate recurring theme under the manager.
There was a subsequent moment of worry early in the second half, as Ferguson was caught by an opponent while registering another wayward shot from distance.
He looked to be moving slightly awkwardly thereafter, but that did not prevent him from engaging in a neat one-two with Matt Doherty, whose curling shot failed to seriously test Steinbors.
Ireland made a raft of substitutions after the hour mark though Ferguson was not among the players to depart.
The changes paid immediate dividends as two substitutes restored Ireland’s advantage. Mikey Johnson made a purposeful run forward before hitting the post with a powerful low shot but Chiedozie Ogbene was on hand to tap home the rebound.
It was another good moment for Ireland and Kenny, who convinced Johnson to switch international allegiance from Scotland, and a reminder that there are good options that can be relied upon in the final third beyond the man everyone is talking about.
The shape of Ireland’s formation changed as well, as Johnson and Ogbene formed more of a three-man attack alongside Ferguson in Ogbene’s absence, enabling the versatile Smallbone, who was named player of the match, asked to drop deeper.
In the 73rd minute, Ferguson departed the action to appreciative cheers, with Kenny likely preserving him for Monday’s crucial Euros qualifier at home to France.
It completed a solid outing for the youngster and 22 March, 2023 may well be looked back upon in years to come as the night a star announced himself on the international stage.
The results since Kenny took charge have evidently not improved significantly — if anything, they are worse overall.
And yet there is an excitement about this team, a feeling that had been conspicuously absent previously, with Ferguson’s rapid, remarkable rise epitomising the pervasive, newfound sense of joy in Irish football.