Luxembourg 0
Republic of Ireland 3
STEPHEN KENNY EVEN has Ireland looking good in orange.
His side finished their Group A campaign with victory in Luxembourg, meaning they salvaged third place in the group and further strengthen the case for Kenny remaining in situ.
This was a fraught, knotty game for an hour until the introduction of Jason Knight swung the game for Ireland: he won the free kick from which Ireland broke the deadlock and then set up the two goals that followed.
He’s the one Knight this Grand Duchy wont’t be officially acclaiming.
This was the first game to be staged in front of a capacity crowd at the new Stade de Luxembourg and among those to turn out for the occasion was Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
He, much like Ireland, made his name as a noted Uefa proponent of draws.
Unlike Ireland, he was introduced to the crowd to a chorus of boos.
Luxembourg manager Luc Holtz caused a stir yesterday when he mischievously suggested Ireland had lately improved because they had reverted to a “British style” of long balls and hearty challenges they’d been playing for the last “100 years.”
Kenny wouldn’t dare associate himself with Holtz’ words but buried beneath the wind-up was a grain of truth, and the greater decisiveness in Ireland’s passing was evident from the opening minutes when they sent Ogbene scuttling in behind the Luxembourg defence. It only took six minutes for lumbering defender Vahid Selimovic to haul Ogbene to the ground and take his booking.
Ireland were soon wailing injustice about Selimovic when he barged through Adam Idah in the box. It was a blatant penalty – and second yellow card – but the referee and his retinue of video assistants decided not to award it.
Luxembourg, suitably spooked by Ogbene’s pace, dropped off and gave Ireland their own half in which to play. Ireland consequently struggled to pick their opponents apart, with long periods of desultory possession bringing frustrated rebukes from coach Anthony Barry.
Ireland were the better side but had their teenage goalkeeper to thank for not falling behind after 20 minutes. Olivier Thill advanced toward goal and was given too much encouragement to keep going – the lessons of the goals conceded at home to Luxembourg and Azerbaijan evidently still haven’t been fully learned – and his shot bounced off Cullen and swerved a vicious, unreliable arc through the air.
Initially the ball seemed to be going wide only to steer inside the post at the last moment, and as the stadium took an inhalation of breath, Bazunu somehow managed to re-adjust his feet, fly through the air and flick the ball around the post.
Shane Duffy clenched his fists and roared as if he himself had just scored.
Ireland started the second half brightly with Idah, Hendrick and Doherty on the end of a series of half-chances, and so Luxembourg decided they would trade blow for blow, introducing striker Maurice Deville and his first impact was to let the air our of the Stade de Luxembourg.
Ireland didn’t defend a cross and Danel Sinani smashed the ball beyond Bazunu from close range, but the crowd’s raptures meant they didn’t hear the referee’s whistle, which was blown for Deville’s earlier shove into Duffy’s back.
They earned a reprieve but Ireland then they lost their way, their play descending to an ugly series of misplaced passes and clumsy touches. Idah – who struggled throughout – was replaced on the hour by Jason Knight and looked thoroughly unimpressed as he left the field, which earned him a mild rebuke from Keith Andrews.
Knight would change the game.
First he drew the free-kick from which Ireland scored their first goal and then contributed to the art.
When the referee decided Knight was fouled on the edge of the box, Cullen whipped a free-kick to the back post where Duffy stooped and scored.
Luc Holtz would no doubt describe it as a British-style goal.
What followed eight minutes later was not.
Ireland kept the ball, kept the ball, and then kept it for longer until they spied their opportunity: Peeling off the back of the Luxembourg defence, Knight was found by Hendrick, and he neatly laid the ball off for Ogbene to apply the finishing touch.
Hendrick’s pass was great; Knight’s deft touch was even better.
And Knight wasn’t finished there: two minutes from time, he sprinted to meet a McClean cross at the back post and cleverly knocked the ball sideways for Robinson to stroke home for Ireland’s third goal.
‘There’s only one Stephen Kenny’ rang out from the Irish contingent in the closing minutes: does anybody really think bringing this to an end would be a good idea?
Republic of Ireland: Gavin Bazunu; Seamus Coleman (captain), Shane Duffy, John Egan; Matt Doherty (Troy Parrott, 88′); Jeff Hendrick, Josh Cullen (Andrew Omobamidele, 88′); James McClean; Chiedozie Ogbene (Alan Browne, 80′), Callum Robinson (Conor Hourihane, 88′); Adam Idah (Jason Knight, 61′)
Luxembourg: Ralph Schon; Laurent Jans (captain), Maxime Chanot, Vahid Selimovic, Michael Pinto; Olivier Thill, Christopher Martins (Sebastien Thill, 85′), Leandro Barreira, Yvandro Borges Sanches (Maurice Deville, 51′), Daniel Sinani; Gerson Rodrigues
Referee: Tamás Bognár (Hungary)