England 3
Republic of Ireland 0
STEPHEN KENNY SAYS he wants to break Ireland’s association with a “British-style”, but sadly for him, England left it behind years ago.
Tonight Ireland were utterly outclassed at Wembley by Gareth Southgate’s vibrant and multivalent England, looking rigid and one-paced in comparison.
A bright Irish start was buried by first-half goals from Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin adding a third from the penalty spot.
As with all of the games under Kenny so far, there were positives – Ireland’s opening quarter and the late impact made by Jayson Molumby – but once again it’s an exercise in cross-examining a bad result.
In fairness, the result and performance is caveated by Ireland’s latest clatter of absentees, and the morning of the game brought further evidence Stephen Kenny may have signed his Ireland contract on a fairy fort. Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy missed out through injury and family reasons respectively, compounding the prior unavailability of Enda Stevens, Aaron Connolly, and Callum Robinson.
Then, just ten minutes into this game, he lost one of his centre-backs to a head injury.
It at least allowed Wembley be the stage for the most GAA-sounding substitution in Irish soccer history, as Dara O’Shea replaced John Egan.
10 minutes later, the plight of the other starting centre-back was on view. Of all the defensive scenarios Ireland might have felt comfortable dealing with ahead of this game, it’s of Shane Duffy being challenged in the air by Harry Maguire.
Not so, as Maguire threw himself high in the air and headed the ball above Duffy and beyond Randolph. Duffy arrived into the game dreadfully out of form, and he had several chastening moments tonight, most notably his dallying on the ball in the box and being robbed by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, though his recovery averted no greater disaster than a corner.
As the first half wore slowly on, he did eventually win a couple of aerial challenges with Maguire in the box, but they merely prefaced England’s second goal.
Duffy cleared a Winks hoik into the box, but Cyrus Christie’s follow up was tame, which allowed England keep the ball and shift the ball left to Jack Grealish. Kenny said in the build-up to the game he wouldn’t be dwelling on the fact Grealish and Declan Rice were opponents, but dwelling is a skill mastered by Grealish.
He glided forward, held on to the ball for just long enough to hold Jeff Hendrick’s attention, and then popped the ball left to Jason Sancho to fire the ball low beyond Randolph.
Grealish really was majestic at times, and Christie was forced to block a Sancho effort after Grealish picked him out with a gorgeous arcing pass through a gap in the Irish defence.
The sophistication of England’s first-half play was too much for Ireland, with Sancho and Grealish drifting across the Irish defence, pressing it for weak points.
Ireland could hardly quibble with the half-time score reading 2-0, as they fell into survival mode from the moment they fell behind. Even Kenny Cunningham, whose RTE commentary was generous to Ireland, said the players’ job after the second goal was to ensure “things don’t fall apart.”
Prior to the first goal Ireland played quite well, with Alan Browne’s deft touch and Daryl Horgan’s direct running causing England issues in transition.
Twice Horgan drilled promising low crosses across the box, but the first was cut out by Maguire and the second went untouched, with Adam Idah caught on his heels six yards back.
Ultimately, however, Ireland trotted off for the break without even managing a shot on target. And while Ireland poked and prodded and found ways around England’s high press in the opening quarter, that ability deserted them once England found their rhythm.
Ireland opened up slightly in the second half, which allowed England cut through them at will. Saka, Reece James and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all had chances in the first five minutes of the second half. Shortly after, Conor Hourihane gave the ball away and Ireland didn’t see it again until Randolph stooped to pick a Dominic Calvert-Lewin penalty out of the net.
The offence was Cyrus Christie’s, who clipped Saka in the box. Kenny and Southgate emptied their benches shortly after, and Ireland’s first shot on target came on the 71-minute mark. Jayson Molumby slipped through Alan Browne, who saw his shot blocked by the replacement goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Molumby injected a dose of energy into the Irish midfield, and a driving run 10 minutes later allowed Curtis sting Henderson’s gloves.
These shots are worth recording: they were as much as Ireland offered. It’s England’s first win over Ireland since 1985, albeit a record caveated by the fact these sides have played so rarely since the mid-90s.
But Ireland voluntarily decided to take this game, and at times we were haunted by Sepp Blatter’s cackling voice.
They asked for that. Really.
England: Nick Pope (Dean Henderson HT); Reece James; Michael Keane, Harry Maguire (captain), Tyrone Mings (Phil Foden, 62′); Bukayo Saka; Harry Winks, Mason Mount (Jude Bellingham, 73′); Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish (Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 62′); Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Tammy Abraham, 64′)
Republic of Ireland: Darren Randolph; Cyrus Christie (Kevin Long, 62′), Shane Duffy (captain), John Egan (Dara O’Shea, 63′), Matt Doherty; Conor Hourihane (Jayson Molumby, 70′), Jeff Hendrick; Daryl Horgan (Robbie Brady, 62), Alan Browne, Callum O’Dowda (James McClean, 62′); Adam Idah (Ronan Curtis, 70′)
Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (Spain)
