Heimir Hallgrimsson on RTÉ: “We needed only to give them a sniff of a chance and they scored, that’s what happens to a team without confidence. They are like a snake if you give them a chance to bite, they will.
“I know it’s going to be tough, but I definitely saw improvements, especially in structure. When we were in good structure, we looked really good. We need to find this relationship between the players. When you haven’t played the system or the players around you, there is uncertainty.”
TV View from Mary:
[ A Greek Tragedy at the Aviva as Ireland fail to rise above the gloomOpens in new window ]
Here are the Ireland ratings:
That’s all from me for tonight, good night!
Will Smallbone on RTÉ: “Played with 4 at the back, we were more attacking. We definitely created more in the first half but we need to start winning games. We want to win as much as anyone, we just want to get results. We will give our all against Finland, we need to be more killer in the final third.”
Full-time: Ireland 0 Greece 2
Poor result, disappointing performance at home. More solid in the first half but they did not create anywhere near enough. A lot to ponder for the new management.
Here was the second Greece goal:
93 mins: Greece passing around with confidence as Ireland stare another defeat in the face.
Ireland 0 Greece 2
87 mins: Goal for Greece! Great run from Tzolis in behind after a pass beats the line. A one-on-one with Collins and he turns him with a deft touch and then fires it low past Kelleher in the corner. He is subbed off to delight and congratulated with a delighted coaching staff.
Ireland 0 Greece 2
85 mins: A bit of life from the subs! McAteer runs at the defender and lays off to edge of the box, Brady’s shot is blocked then Robinson gets a shot away, it’s deflected and just goes past the post.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
84 mins: Dangerous free-kick by Greece nearly sneaks in to a Greek player after a good ball by Bakasetas but Kelleher collects. Callum Robinson comes on. Just over 37,000 attending the game tonight.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
78 mins: Long period of possession for Greece and Ireland struggling to get a hold on it in midfield.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
Two more subs for Ireland, Doherty and McAteer are on.
73 mins: Nice pass by Knight into Smallbone on the edge of the box, puts it into an area on the edge of the box but nobody there and cleared.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
Harry Kane scored again for England, 2-0 to them in the other game in the group.
70 mins: Sloppy play at the back from Dara O’Shea, then Knight pushes Siopis over and it’s a free-kick from around 30 yards for Greece. Decent effort from Bakasetas but can’t keep it down.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
67 mins: Nice one and two touch football by Greece as Tzolis gets through in behind but blasts the shot over.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
63 mins: Browne wins a free-kick in a dangerous position as Tzolis has been booked. Now for a big roar from the crowd as Evan Ferguson comes on for Molumby.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
Harry Kane has scored for England, they lead Finland 1-0.
56 mins: Chance for Jason Knight after an Ogbene cross into the box, but his header is wide and he gets clattered by Mavropanos for his trouble.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
53 mins: Big blow for Ireland there, how will they respond to the setback? Game had been even before then, but need to show more in attack.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
50 mins: Goal for Greece! It’s Ireland’s typical weakness, long-range shots. Ioannidis curles one into the top corner from the D. Defenders backed off too much you could argue. Good pass to him from Bakasetas.
Ireland 0 Greece 1
48 mins: Ireland opting for long throw tonight but not much joy with them. Collins won the first ball, but nobody there for the knock on.
Half-time: Ireland 0 Greece 0
Not a great game, but came to life in the last five minutes of the half with Ogbene almost scoring a screamer. Hallgrimsson won’t be too unhappy with that though, all to play for second half.
In the other game in the group, it’s England 0 Finland 0 at half-time.
44 mins: Chance for Ireland from a counter from Ireland as Szmodics got the move going, good play from Smallbone, went to Ogbene who feinted and laid off to Browne but his shot is well wide.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
41 mins: Goal disallowed for Ireland! Oh what a shame, Ogbene had given the crowd something to scream about with a chest down and shot on the half-volley from outside the box into the top corner. But it was just offside.
38 mins: Bakasetas gets injury attention after an aerial collision with Collins.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
33 mins: Yellow card for Omobamidele for a foul to stop a Greek attack, he’ll have to watch his step now. Szmodics sees the keeper off his line and goes for it from distance but well over.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
28 mins: Bakasetas takes a very good curled powerful free-kick that is well saved by Kelleher. Corner is headed away safely by Ireland.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
25 mins: Bit of possession now for Ireland but not really getting through the lines. Dara O’Shea then loses the ball. Smallbone fouls Bakasetas in a dangerous area.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
22 mins: Better pass by Molumby, finds Ogbene on the wing and great play by Smallbone, reverse pass into Knight in the box and into Browne but can’t get the shot away.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
18 mins: Dour game so far, crowd is flat too. Hopefully Ireland can pick it up a bit. Ogbene gets the ball on the wing but his cross is blocked.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
14 mins: A corner for Ireland won by Szmodics but Smallbone’s corner is headed away.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
11 mins: First chance of the game, Koulierakis with a good front post header from the corner and just over the bar for Greece.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
6 mins: Again Tsimikas finds space on the wing but his cross is overhit. Not too much happening in the early stages.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
2 mins: Collins heads away an early cross from Tsimikas. Greece look to be pressing high on Ireland.
Ireland 0 Greece 0
No booing of the Greek national anthem anyway. Here’s the teams again:
Ireland: Caoimhin Kelleher; Nathan Collins (capt), Andrew Omobamidele, Dara O’Shea, Robbie Brady; Jayson Molumby, Jason Knight, Alan Browne, Will Smallbone; Chiedozie Ogbene, Sam Szmodics.
Greece: Odysseas Vlachodimos; Lazaros Rota, Ntinos Mavopanos, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Kostas Tsimikas; Manolis Siopis, Andreas Bouchalakis; Taos Chatzigiovanis, Tasos Bakasetas (capt), Christos Tolis, Fotis Ioannidis
On the sheet, it says Ireland will line up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Knight behind Szmodics. Hallgrimsson says on RTÉ, Ireland will have more of the ball. “We need to find the right players, and keep playing them, and more confidence in them playing.”
There is every reason for Ireland to be braced for tough Greek test, writes James McDermott.
“Appropriately, this feeling is strongest when they face Greece, who have won four and drawn one of their five matches against Ireland, with the Republic only scoring a single goal. Last year Greece completed a double over Ireland, winning 2-1 in Athens and 2-0 at the Aviva Stadium to secure a play-off spot for Euro 2024.
“The chasm between the countries is even more pronounced at club level, as illustrated in August when PAOK eased past Shamrock Rovers on a 6-0 aggregate scoreline to qualify for the group stage of the Europa League. Things were much closer in 2021 Europa Conference League when Bohemians were unlucky to fall to PAOK on a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.”
[ Every reason for Ireland to be braced for tough Greek testOpens in new window ]
FT: Ireland 2 Latvia 2. 29 shots, 71% possession but a draw in Tallaght for the under-21s. Could be crucial unfortunately in not qualifying with Norway and Italy to come. Not over yet, but a big slip up at home. Here was the equalising goal:
It’s still 2-2 in the under-21s. 89 minutes gone, time is running out for Jim Crawford’s team.
Ireland team is out:
Caoimhin Kelleher; Nathan Collins (capt), Andrew Omobamidele, Dara O’Shea, Robbie Brady; Jayson Molumby, Jason Knight, Alan Browne, Will Smallbone; Chiedozie Ogbene, Sam Szmodics.
An unusual line-up there, hard to tell what formation it will be. Looks to be bolstering the midfield anyway with Browne, Knight coming in and Idah dropped, it looks like Szmodics could be up front.
The Greece team:
Odysseas Vlachodimos; Lazaros Rota, Ntinos Mavopanos, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Kostas Tsimikas; Manolis Siopis, Andreas Bouchalakis; Taos Chatzigiovanis, Tasos Bakasetas (capt), Christos Tolis, Fotis Ioannidis
Ireland are drawing 2-2 with Latvia in the Euro Under-21 qualifying match in Tallaght, still 20 minutes to go but they really need to win that one for qualification.
Gavin Cummiskey focuses his pre-match preview on the not so rosy financials for the FAI:
“The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) need a win tonight against Greece as much as their new manager Heimir Hallgrímsson and the put upon players.
“The association’s cash balance at the end of 2023 was €1.6 million, down from €10.9 million in 2022, as the annual general meeting on Saturday will explain, to service a legacy debt that currently stands at €43.2 million.
“These figures should not directly impact a Nations League fixture where Ireland seek to avoid a third defeat to Greece inside 15 months, but the debt explains why Irish football is knee deep in a decade of austerity.
[ Little respite for Ireland ahead of tricky Greece assignmentOpens in new window ]
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Ireland’s second Nations League game, against Greece at the Aviva Stadium. Saturday was a sobering day against old rivals England as they outclassed Ireland in a 2-0 result that flattered the boys in green. Beating Greece at home is a more realistic aim, but already the pressure is building on the management team after a difficult start. A defeat would put Ireland on the back foot and looking over their shoulder at League C.
Gus Poyet is no longer at the helm as Greece, under new manager Ivan Jovanovic, beat Finland 3-0 in Athens on Saturday with two goals from Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis. They are a tricky side that had Ireland and Stephen Kenny’s number in the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, beating Ireland home and away
Evan Ferguson will not be fit to start the game, according to manager Heimir Hallgrímsson. Saturday was Ferguson’s first game since sustaining an ankle injury last March. Captain Séamus Coleman will miss the match through injury, his place in the squad is taken by Festy Ebosele. Without Josh Cullen in midfield, a big responsibility lies on Will Smallbone to carry a weak midfield, while if the management continues with five at the back, Ireland need to see more from the wing-back positions. Kick-off is at 7.45pm.
