David Sneyd

THE DEFEAT IN Armenia last month means a World Cup qualifying hangover lingers in Lisbon.

The Republic of Ireland are in desperate need of a curer, but the fear pervades.

Portugal are capable of inflicting much more pain, so let’s start with a little bit of positive history that could be made tonight.

Should Evan Ferguson score, he will become Ireland’s first senior men’s international to hit the net in four consecutive competitive games.

Not even Robbie Keane managed the feat during the course of his record 68 goals.

As confirmed by the FAI, Ferguson is on the cusp of an unlikely achievement.

His strike in the second leg of the Nations League promotion/relegation play-off with Bulgaria was followed by back-to-back efforts against Hungary and Armenia in this World Cup qualifying campaign.

Ferguson arrived into camp nursing an ankle injury but recovered sufficiently to take part in training since Wednesday. He spoke alongside manager Heimir Hallgrímsson yesterday and while he has yet to score on loan with AS Roma in Serie A or during the early stages of their Europa League campaign, the striker insists he is in “a better place” with more match sharpness as the Boys in Green prepare for a daunting task against Portugal.

He says he’s not too worried by the lack of goals at club level, citing a lack of chances, an issue that he must also contend with for his country. Even more so tonight against a side who have – understandably – spent more time this week answering questions that look beyond Ireland and to the possibility of winning the World Cup.

For Ferguson the questions centred more on the legitimacy of even considering qualifying.

“There would be no point in being here if we didn’t believe that. Every time we’re together we have the belief and whatever anyone else says we have to just put aside and come together as a group and find out what we need to do and how we can get ourselves to America next year,” he said.

When Hallgrímsson first took over he spoke of the Ireland jersey being “too heavy” for too many of his players. Before this campaign began the manager changed tack, stressing that “it looks like they are taller today than when I came a year ago”, an indication of a squad on the verge of coming of age.

“I wouldn’t say much about a heavy jersey, I’d say a confidence thing maybe because whoever is here wants to play for their country and wants to play as best as they can. No one comes here to want to lose games, every time you’re here you want to win games,” Ferguson said.

“So I think it’s just more of a confidence thing and trying to build a run of results and hopefully we have the squad now that can do that. We’ve got a mix of some of the players in the past who have gone away to tournaments and and we’ve got some young players who can be here for many years. Hopefully we have a run of games and we do well.”

To try and inspire such a turnaround, Hallgrímsson has recalled Seamus Coleman and John Egan. The latter is expected to come straight back into the starting XI tonight and it would not be a major surprise if Nathan Collins, captain in place of Coleman, is ushered out of defence.

Ireland centurion Kevin Kilbane wrote a steadfast column in yesterday’s Irish Times on how the next two games – Armenia also visit Dublin on Tuesday looking to complete the double – will determine Hallgrímsson’s future as manager.

“Ruthless steps will be needed to stop the downward spiral under Heimir Hallgrímsson if Ireland suffer a heavy defeat in Portugal and fail to soundly beat Armenia at the Aviva on Tuesday,” Kilbane said.

“If three points cannot be secured from these World Cup qualifiers, the manager should go. On the spot. If not, he should be pushed. Let John O’Shea see out the campaign. Start again.”

That is only one three scenarios.

Given the despairing nature of Hallgrímsson in the aftermath of defeat in Yerevan last month, a repeat over the coming days could be enough for him to walk away and forsake the final month of his contract.

Defeat against Portugal is expected but the manner will say a lot about the direction of travel. Victory over Armenia on Tuesday keeps faint hopes of a play-off alive going into November and would also mean Hallgrímsson will remain in situ.

If Ireland avoid defeat tonight and then take all three points in Dublin, matters take a drastic turn again.

A fit and firing Ferguson is pivotal to such fanciful hopes, but what a night it would be were he to make history with a goal that was not in vain.