Ukraine 1-1 Ireland
Hello, and welcome to today’s liveblog.
Ireland face Ukraine for the second time in this international window, having already suffered a 1-0 loss in Dublin six days ago.
However, both teams are much-changed since the first encounter, so it may well pan out very differently this time around.
After losing their first two games, Stephen Kenny will be hoping to build on the momentum from their defeat of Scotland at the weekend.
The Ukrainians, meanwhile, will be hoping for another three points that would put them in a strong position to win the group.
Elsewhere in the group today, it looks set to finish Armenia 1-4 Scotland.
So the Boys in Green will need a victory today to go back level with Steve Clarke’s side.
The kick-off for this game is at 7.45pm.
Confirmation of the teams below…
Starting XI | Ukraine v Republic of Ireland
— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) June 14, 2022
James McClean captains the team as Scott Hogan, Darragh Lenihan & Dara O'Shea all come into the side to face Ukraine (KO 7.45pm/8.45pm local) 🇮🇪
Match No.4 of this window, come on you Boys in Green!#COYBIG | #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/ODB224qjcc
Who do you think will win?
Poll Results:
🇮🇪 Ireland Manager Stephen Kenny gives his thoughts ahead of tonight’s UEFA Nations League match away to Ukraine in Poland #COYBIG | #WeAreOne | #UKRIRL pic.twitter.com/M8VmKB9Shh
— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) June 14, 2022
We’re underway…
Ireland start on the front foot.
Alan Browne’s cross is headed out for a corner, before Parrott puts a ball in that Riznyk does well to claim under pressure from a couple of Irish players.
It’s been a scrappy enough opening so far.
Neither side has been able to carve out a genuine chance.
Malinovskyi holds off Molumby before his powerful strike from the edge of the area forces Kelleher into a decent save.
Ukraine are beginning to get the upperhand in this game.
Big chance!
Jason Knight puts in a brilliant cross for Troy Parrott, but the Tottenham man’s finish is disappointing, as he can’t hit the target with a header.
Mykolenko escapes from Browne out on Ireland’s right but Kelleher makes a good save as the attacker goes through on goal.
Ukraine have dominated possession and controlled the play so far, but the visitors have threatened sporadically on the counter-attack.
Ukraine are forced into an early change.
Malinovskyi has picked up a knock and is replaced by Mudryk.
UKRAINE 0-1 IRELAND (COLLINS 32)
Ireland take the lead with a goal to remember.
Collins intercepts a pass before evading the challenge of three Ukraine players and slotting home coolly.
A fine individual effort from the Burnley defender.
A dangerous moment for Ireland.
Mudryk finds space wide left and crosses for Karavaev, whose first-time finish is well off target.
Jason Knight’s deflected shot is parried by Riznyk before he subsequently collects Parrott’s clipped cross.
Ireland have picked up where they left off against Scotland — a far more confident display than their first two Nations League matches.
Here’s a look at that stunning Collins goal.
Ukraine 0-1 Ireland - Nathan Collins puts the visitors in front with a sensational individual goal having delivered a 'masterclass' of defending in the first half hour #rtesoccer #UKRvIRL
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 14, 2022
💻 https://t.co/w5JRG3O0hS
📺 https://t.co/2W5kFtUgZE
📻 https://t.co/QHSJNYlfx8 pic.twitter.com/y0ulAtOn6J
Yarmolenko goes down in the area amid claims for a penalty with Dara O’Shea the nearest Irishman to him, but the referee waves play on.
Replays suggest it was the correct decision, as the striker went down very easily.
HALF-TIME: UKRAINE 0-1 IRELAND
So half-time and Stephen Kenny can be pretty happy with the opening 45 minutes.
Ireland have been really solid, reducing Ukraine to a couple of half-chances at best.
In addition to the wonderful Collins goal, the visitors probably had the best chance of the best, as Parrott will feel he should have done better after being set up via an excellent Knight cross.
The second half has begun…
IRELAND 1-1 UKRAINE (DOVBYK 46)
We’ve barely restarted and Ukraine are level.
Yarmolenko beats McClean on the left before his low cross is slotted into the empty net by Dovbyk.
Ireland threaten to respond immediately.
Josh Cullen’s free-kick falls for Lenihan, whose shot is narrowly off target.
Here’s a look at the Ukraine equaliser.
Ukraine 1-1 Ireland - Artem Dovbyk has the easiest of finishes after the Irish defence is caught exposed, playing Andriy Yarmolenko onside #rtesoccer #UKRvIRL
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) June 14, 2022
💻 https://t.co/w5JRG3O0hS
📺 https://t.co/2W5kFtUgZE
📻 https://t.co/QHSJNYlfx8 pic.twitter.com/TYsSjGm9Fp
Ireland make a change, with Callum Robinson on for Hogan.
The Birmingham striker appeared to have picked up a bit of a knock earlier, so that might have influenced Kenny’s decision.
Good patient build-up play from Ireland ends with an audacious effort from Parrott being deflected just wide.
The ensuing McClean corner finds Lenihan, but his header across goal is easily cleared.
Another dangerous moment for Ireland.
A lovely, flowing Ukrainian move ends with Mykolenko putting a low ball across the face of goal, but no attacker is on hand to convert it.
Browne gets booked for cynically taking down Shaparenko on the edge of the area.
Ireland are looking vulnerable at the moment.
Double change for Ireland as they look to regain a foothold in midfield.
Hendrick and Hourihane replace Knight and Molumby.
Browne squares it to Hourihane on the counter, but the midfielder blazes his shot well over.
The Cork star has shown in the past he is capable of scoring spectacular goals from that kind of range.
Another nervy moment for Ireland.
Zinchenko plays it through Lenihan’s legs, but Mudryk miscues his attempted cross and it goes harmlessly out of play.
It’s now Ukraine’s turn to make a double change.
Mudryk and Sikan replace Matvienko and the goalscorer Dovbyk.
Ireland are starting to look more comfortable now compared to earlier in the half.
The introduction of Hendrick and Hourihane has helped settle things down.
Ireland have made another change.
Parrott is replaced by Ogbene.
The flow of the game has been disrupted somewhat by the raft of substitutions as is often the case.
Neither side has really threatened in recent minutes.
Mykolenko puts in a dangerous cross but Collins is in the right place to clear.
The Irish defence has been generally excellent tonight, with the Burnley star shining in particular.
As I type, Robinson puts in a dangerous cross but it’s eventually cleared.
Mudryk makes a Collins-esque run on goal.
He then plays it to Yarmolenko, who makes a mess of his shot.
Meanwhile, Collins has unsurprisingly been named man of the match by RTÉ,
FULL-TIME: UKRAINE 1-1 IRELAND
So that’s that.
That probably ends any hope of Ireland winning this Nations League group, nonetheless, the visitors will take plenty of positives from that display.
A draw was a fair result — Ireland were the better team in the first half, and Ukraine probably edged the second.
Probably the most pleasing aspect of the game for Kenny will be the display of the back three.
With Duffy and Egan unavailable, Collins, O’Shea and Lenihan don’t have many caps between them, but they played with the assurance of veterans.
It may not have been the win they wanted, but was arguably the most impressive performance of the four against certainly the best team Ireland have played in this international window.
Kenny and his players can now take a well-earned break and reflect on a window that began disastrously but was salvaged by two very creditable performances.
Right, that’s all from me for now.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
You can read our match report here and we’ll have plenty more reaction to follow.
