David Sneyd

THIS WAS A story we’ve all read before and it’s a cruel ending every time.

As Ruben Neves rose to meet Francisco Trincão’s cross in the 91st minute, glancing his header into the net just before Caoimhín Kelleher could try and claim it, one of the great Irish football moments of the last decade quite literally sprung to mind.

Portugal’s winner was so painfully similar to Robbie Brady’s famous one against Italy at Euro 2016.

Brady took his leap of faith then and for 90 minutes in Lisbon you felt like you could do the same with Heimir Hallgrímsson’s Republic of Ireland.

Cristiano Ronaldo may be the first billionaire footballer, but the poor fella couldn’t buy a goal even though there was more easy money to be made for him with his controversial penalty on 75 minutes.

Modern goalkeepers have to be exceptional with their feet and Kelleher proved that point in spades with a sensational save. There was brief scenes of jubilation but they turned to desolation by the end.

Memories of Faro in September 2021 scattered the mind, when Gavin Bazunu also saved a Ronaldo penalty before late agony.

Mick Lynch (centre) among the Ireland fans. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Mick Lynch is a proud Irishman who just happened to be Britain’s most prominent trade unionist before his retirement, and he was among the 2,000-plus away support in Lisbon.

This was so nearly a lockout to cherish, one to infuse hope once again in a World Cup qualifying campaign that seemed totally bereft last month. The main concern now after such a gallant effort is that Tuesday’s meeting with Armenia in Dublin falls flat and Ireland remain rooted to the bottom of Group F.

Seamus Coleman was recalled on his 37th birthday and performed with the kind of character and confidence you would expect. More important was the concentration levels that were matched by those around him.

A month of recrimination because of the manner of that earlier defeat in Yerevan led to a feeling of foreboding going into this encounter but Coleman’s presence eased those concerns.

Ireland were able to salvage some semblance of pride but another defeat can just be added to the catalogue of pain.

Maybe when this World Cup qualifying campaign is over Fifa will request a body of evidence from the FAI be donated for some kind of study in a team’s ability to inflict constant dread and optimism in equal measure.

The vulnerability that was evident throughout the defeat in Yerevan never felt far from the surface against Portugal and while they weren’t cut open time and again they were ruthlessly exposed in the end when Neves had a free header near the six-yard box.

The weaknesses are clear, the shortcomings blatantly obvious. Against a team like Portugal they can be accepted, almost embraced provided a form of defiance and organisation is summoned to combat the gulf in class.

Hallgrímsson spoke in the hour before kick-off of needing a performance of “spirit and character”, of being “solid and compact” and “as realistic in our approach as we can.”

They delivered on all fronts, it was so nearly the perfect display he called for, but Portugal’s perseverance and quality was ultimately rewarded. Maybe if Ronaldo’s penalty had been the clincher – harshly awarded for handball against Dara O’Shea – there could have been legitimate complaints.

For 91 minutes in Lisbon they had made amends for last month, until Neves slipped into space and headed home to spare some of Ronaldo’s blushes.

The sight of him giving out to referee Ivan Kružliak about playing only one minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half tells you everything about how Ireland’s game plan worked a treat in that opening 45 minutes.

The 40-year-old came closest to scoring on 17 minutes when a shot out of nothing from around 20 yards struck the post. The rebound could have easily hit Kelleher in the face and gone back into the net but even when the ball made its way to Bernardo Silva his shot on the run was scuffed.

Ireland were performing exactly how the manager wanted and the contrast to the display in Yerevan last month was stark.

There were still passes that went needlessly astray to make you sigh and grimace at the potential consequences, but Ireland were still in the game.

Evan Ferguson was dropping deep to show to feet with Chiedozie Ogbene the more willing runner into the space beyond in an attempt to stretch Portugal and keep them honest.

There was an early moment of excitement down the right flank when Festy Ebosele took on Nuno Mendes for pace and left the PSG man for dust. His cross was overhit and there was a lack of support anyway but it was some promise that joy could be found on the counter attack.

Ireland ended the first half with 44% possession and it seemed a generous figure.

By the time the hour mark passed Ferguson was effectively a sitting midfielder given how deep Ireland were being pushed back.

Concentration levels remained, the spaces Hallgrímsson spoke about were being squeezed and it felt like Portugal would require something special to make their breakthrough.

It wasn’t so much a nagging concern that they could produce it at any point, rather to the forefront of the thinking. When VAR refused to send referee Ivan Kružliak to the monitor for another look at his penalty award against O’Shea it felt like the natural conclusion was coming.

Ronaldo’s moment arrived but Kelleher took it from him with an amazing save with his outstretched leg.

Ireland must now quickly turn their attention to Armenia and find a way to put this pain to good use.