Republic of Ireland 1 The Netherlands 2
Despite all the bravery and unbridled passion from Irish professionals who ply their trade in the lower leagues of English football, the song remains the same for Stephen Kenny.
“The stakes are high for us,” said the Republic of Ireland manager before kick-off. “This is a match that we will try to win, absolutely.”
Before month’s end, FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill will reveal just how high the stakes really were. The 49,807 attendance can have little complaint about Wout Weghorst’s winning strike. It came before the hour mark but proved the point of no return. On multiple levels.
“We are here to get results but we have just come out the wrong side of a result against Holland,” said man of the match Jason Knight. “We will try to regroup for the next camp.”
[ Rep of Ireland 1 Netherlands 2: How the Irish players ratedOpens in new window ]
Regrouping will prove incredibly challenging. Change now feels inevitable.
After holding their own against a country ranked seventh in the world, when a famous victory seemed possible to reach the European Championships in Germany next summer, Kenny’s Ireland lost their way. Again.
These enormous international nights on the Dubliner’s watch have taken on a life of their own. So much happened in the opening 45 minutes at the Aviva stadium that we best start by explaining the goals and see what space remains.
Ireland started like a train, rattling into a Dutch back three that boasts the silkiest centre halves Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich can buy.
Adam Idah and Chiedozie Ogbene showed a fearless disregard for their Champions League minders with a full-blooded assault, seemingly inspired by skipper Shane Duffy’s call to arms in the pre-game huddle.
It took 64 seconds to win the first of many James McClean corners as Dutch dithering allowed Ogbene tee up Idah for a shot that Nathan Aké blocked.
When Virgil van Dijk handled Duffy’s flick-on, the Liverpool captain demanded a VAR check. It came back negative as Idah slotted the penalty into the bottom left corner of Mark Flekken’s nets.
The crowd needed this third minute goal. On hearing Kenny’s name before the anthems, the Lansdowne faithful responded with half a cheer, half a smattering of boos.
But Matt Doherty had the team purring from the outset, Knight was phenomenal on and off the ball while Alan Browne made it seem ridiculous that he is not a guaranteed starter in midfield beside Josh Cullen.
For all the Irish moxy on show, another trait of the Kenny era is the guaranteed slip in defensive concentration. Sure enough, when Duffy played Denzel Dumfries onside in the 18th minute, Cody Gakpo slid a pass for the Inter winger that tempted Gavin Bazunu to charge out of goal, plant his feet and watch helplessly as Dumfries poked the ball beyond him before making clever contact with the goalkeeper’s stationary frame.
Bazunu was yellow carded and Gakpo stabbed home the penalty. One-all, 19 minutes clocked and the game was already a thriller.
The contest continued at a ferocious clip but the Dutch had done their homework. Aké shadowed Ogbene down the right and in the air, the Man City practitioner paying the Luton Town winger the ultimate compliment of grabbing and kicking him at every opportunity.
From a resulting free-kick Browne hit the back stanchion.
Bazunu was having a busy night as Ireland went for broke. Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong were ready to catch them in transition. Donyell Malen had two angled looks at the Irish goal but twice the young Southampton stopper saved well with his legs.
But the best chance of the first half fell to Ogbene when Browne pressed high to dispossess De Jong. Idah shovelled the ball to Ogbene but a heavy touch allowed Aké to make another sensational block.
The Ogbene and Idah show continued into the tunnel at half-time as the pair charmed and joked with the match officials, in search of better rewards for all the heavy handed methods employed to stop them.
Ronald Koeman rolled the dice at the interval and was paid handsomely when Weghorst finished Dumfries’ headed assist after De Jong’s deliciously lofted ball cleared the green tide.
“Always look on the bright side of life,” sang Oranje fans down the Aviva north end. They had marched down Townsend Street to reach Dublin Four, all colour and joy, their football team is a live and well again.
They were easy to hear because the rest of the stadium went mute. Slowly, hesitantly the old south terrace mustered a response, but the heart had been torn out of the old ground.
The facts are unavoidable. Ireland sit fourth in Group B after five matches. They have a single victory over Gibraltar. Defeats to France (twice), damningly Greece in Athens last June and now The Netherlands had their number.
They have scored five goals, conceded seven. Progress is impossible to identify. Grim days despite genuine talents, Sinclair Armstrong and Festy Ebosele, coming into the squad and earning their debuts.
Ireland: Bazunu (Southampton); Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Collins (Brentford), Duffy (Norwich City), Egan (Sheffield United), McClean (Wrexham); Cullen (Burnley), Browne (Preston North End); Ogbene (Luton Town), Knight (Bristol City); Idah (Norwich City). Substitutes: Ryan Manning (Southampton) for McClean (64), Smallbone (Southampton) for Browne, McGrath (Aberdeen) for Egan (both 73), Armstrong (QPR) for Knight, Ebosele (Udinese) for Doherty (both 87).
The Netherlands: Flekken (Brentford); De Ligt (Bayern Munich), Van Dijk (Liverpool), Aké (Manchester City); Dumfries (Inter Milan), Blind (Girona), Wieffer (Feyenoord), De Jong (Barcelona), Simons (Red Bull Leipzig); Malen (Borussia Dortmund), Gakpo (Liverpool). Substitutes: Weghorst (Hoffenheim) for Blind, Reijnders (AC Milan) for Wieffer (both half-time), Koopmeiners (Atalanta) for Malen (68), Lang (PSV) for Gakpo (81), Berghuis (Ajax) for Simons (89)
Referee: Irfan Peljto (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
