Malta 0-1 Ireland
Hello, and welcome to tonight’s liveblog.
It’s safe to say this will likely not be the most glamorous or memorable match Stephen Kenny and Ireland will ever been involved in.
That said, it feels important that the Boys in Green end 2022 on a positive note, following a relatively underwhelming 12 months.
Malta look like the perfect side to play against to restore confidence. They sit 168th in the Fifa rankings — 119 places below Ireland.
That said, anything other than a victory would increase the pressure on this Irish side, who have managed just two wins from their last seven fixtures.
Kick-off tonight is at 7pm Irish time.
Confirmation of the Irish team below…
STARTING XI | Malta v Republic of Ireland
— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) November 20, 2022
Five changes to the side as Ogbene leads the line with McGrath, McClean and Kelleher come in as Seamus Coleman captains the side ©️
KO 7pm (8pm local time) for our final match of 2022 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/cMz3DDudQX
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We’re underway…
Some nervy moments early on for Ireland.
Jones’ cross into area causes brief panic but the visitors clear eventually.
Doherty’s low cross finds Robinson, whose effort is deflected out for a corner.
Moments later, Malta fail to successfully pass it out from the back.
It falls for McClean, whose cross is cleared away for another corner, but this time, Doherty heads wide from McGrath’s deep ball in.
Jamie McGrath’s free-kick from the left is slightly too high for Egan.
The goalkeeper Bonello consequently can gather it with relative ease.
Kelleher gets down well to save a Jones shot.
Ireland looked vulnerable on the counter there, as Malta had a man free in attack.
Not for the first time, Ireland are caught in possession — Cullen is the culprit on this occasion.
Mbong subsequently shoots well over from distance.
Malta are better than their Fifa ranking suggests on the evidence of this match so far.
Malta are forced into an early change.
Kristensen has picked up a knock and goes off injured, with Vella coming on in his place.
Collins finds Robinson with an incisive pass.
The Cardiff star tries to pick out Ogbene with a low cross, but Pepe stretches to make a vital interception.
The ball falls for Browne on the edge of the area.
However, he can’t produce a repeat of his fantastic goal on Thursday, as his shot goes well over.
Moments later, McGrath evades the attention of his marker, but he also can’t really connect properly with the ball and it fails to trouble Bonello from distance.
McGrath floats in a free kick, but the goalkeeper is able to claim it easily enough.
Ireland have been wasteful in those type of positions and will need a better delivery to trouble the hosts.
Doherty’s ball in is caught by Bonello.
The visitors will be disappointed that they’ve barely tested the opposition goalkeeper in the opening 45 minutes.
“Get a hold of it, come on,” says a frustrated-sounding Stephen Kenny.
There’s been a real lack of urgency from both sides.
As I type, Doherty’s cross finds Browne — the stretching midfielder gets the slightest of touches on it, but can’t quite direct it into the empty net.
McClean puts in a corner, but it goes straight into Bonello’s hands.
That sums up a frustrating first half from an Irish perspective.
HALF-TIME: MALTA 0-0 IRELAND
So another 45 minutes that won’t do much for Ireland’s morale or confidence.
It was similar enough to their performance at the Aviva on Thursday, as the team struggled to create chances of note.
Malta have been comfortable for the most part, and had a couple of promising moments in attack themselves.
Ireland had plenty of the ball — 66% according to Uefa — but it felt like possession for possession’s sake too often, with a lack of urgency and risk invariably characterising their play.
They have had six attempts compared to Malta’s three, but there has just been a single shot on target, and that was registered by the hosts.
The second half has begun.
No changes to either team at half-time.
Collins gets a booking for a cynical challenge on Jones as he runs towards goal.
The London-born winger has looked lively.
Disappointingly for Malta, a free kick in a good position is then wasted, as Guillaumier’s effort goes straight into the wall.
Qatar make another injury-enforced change as the substitute is substituted.
Vella is replaced by Pisani.
Shortly thereafter, McGrath’s free-kick in a decent position deflects off the wall and goes out for a corner.
Malta 0-1 Ireland (Robinson 55)
Malta have looked unconvincing playing it around the back all night and this time they are punished.
Guillaumier’s attempted backpass goes straight to Robinson and the Irish striker shows good composure, taking it past the goalkeeper and slotting at home.
It hasn’t exactly been coming, but Ireland will take that.
McGrath’s free-kick finds the head of Browne, but it’s too far out to really trouble Bonello.
Ireland are playing with a bit more confidence since the goal.
Here’s a look at the opening goal, which was gifted to Ireland really.
55' Malta 0-1 Ireland. Robinson accepts a gift from Guillaumier to give the Boys in Green the lead.
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) November 20, 2022
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Ireland make their first two changes.
Hendrick and O’Dowda replace Browne and McClean.
Malta also make a change — Gambin is on for Jones, who had looked like one of their main attacking threats.
Ireland survived a slight scare there.
Kelleher got down low to stop Pisani’s shot, although judging by the replay, it would have gone an inch or two wide anyway.
More changes for Malta.
Montebello and Shaw are on, Apap and Satariano are off.
Neither side really look like scoring at the moment.
1-0 appears to be the most likely outcome.
It hasn’t been the most convincing performance from Ireland, but they will at least be happy to earn a morale-boosting win.
Ireland make a change and it’s another chance for Evan Ferguson to impress after making his debut against Norway late on last Thursday.
A goal would mean he surpasses Robbie Keane as Ireland’s youngest-ever goalscorer.
Bristol City midfielder Mark Sykes comes on to make his international debut.
And it’s the goalscorer Robinson who departs the action.
So close!
O’Dowda escapes his man and goes on a marauding run down the left, finding himself through on goal.
However, he can’t score his first international goal, as his finish comes back off the post.
Ireland counter and Skykes crosses for Ferguson, but the defender does well to block the teenager’s goalbound effort.
It’s been a fairly forgettable contest, but the visitors are at least ending on a high.
FULL-TIME: MALTA 0-1 IRELAND
So that’s that.
Ireland finish 2022 with a win.
Yet the camera pans to a disappointed-looking James McClean shaking his head, which gives an idea of how the evening panned out.
Similar to Norway on Thursday, it was a largely uninspired showing against opponents who made themselves difficult to beat.
Ireland struggled to create chances, but the hosts were generous enough to lay one on a plate for Callum Robinson’s winning goal.
Positives were few and more between. Jamie McGrath did enough on his return to win RTÉ’s man-of-the-match award, but he was the best of a fairly mediocre bunch.
It was good in particular to see Evan Ferguson and debutant Mark Sykes getting minutes towards the end, but the game was almost dead by the time they came on, so their influence was unsurprisingly limited.
Callum O’Dowda also had a decent cameo, perhaps strengthening his claims for a starting spot against France.
Right, that’s all from me for now.
You can read our match report here and we’ll have more reaction to follow.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
