Nations League B, Group 2: Ireland 1 (Ferguson 45) Finland 0
It’s official. The Republic of Ireland are no minnow. Not in modern international football. Not with Evan Ferguson on the Lansdowne grass, bullying Finnish centre-halves into submission.
And not with Caoimhín Kelleher moving like a superhero between the Irish posts.
The Liverpool goalkeeper has history when it comes to saving penalties and he matched Joel Pohjanpalo’s strike in the 77th minute with an athletic dive before gobbling the loose ball. The Aviva shook like the old days.
Ferguson’s goal on the stroke of half-time was all power and aggression. But it was little moments from the Brighton striker that promises so much and leaves Ireland so reliant on him in the coming years.
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Early in the second half a poor ball forced the 20-year-old to check his run. Ferguson threw out a boot. The touch caught out Daniel O’Shaughnessy and fell for Sammie Szmodics who glanced up to see Ferguson’s instinctive gallop to the back post. The cross was where Szmodics spied Ferguson but the young forward moved at the last second to squeeze between Robert Ivanov and Arttu Hoskonen.
It came to nothing, but the action promised so much in what has been a calamitous period for Irish football, on and off the pitch.
This was supposed to be a forgettable, slow burn week until facing Lee Carsley’s England at Wembley on Sunday.
Instead, it will be remembered for Robbie Keane’s wife Claudine taking elements of the media and political classes to task on X after the former Ireland captain’s presentation of caps to the squad last Monday night was met by a wave of social media criticism over his season managing Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Mrs Keane branded the treatment of her husband a “witch hunt.”
The preamble overshadowed the FAI and Castore releasing a “hype kit,” designed to evoke memories of the 1994 World Cup. The baggie tracksuits donned by every Irish player and paraded on the pitch beforehand had people harking back to bygone Community Games at Mosney.
The team changed into less ridiculous garb for their warm-up.
Finland set the tempo with Glen Kamara keen to expose Irish full-backs Matt Doherty and Callum O’Dowda. This forced Liam Scales and Nathan Collins into numerous blocks as Oliver Antman and Nikolai Alho made hay down the flanks.
Ireland rode their luck. And the worm eventually turned.
Szmodics and Ferguson could become the one-two punch the country has needed since Keane and Niall Quinn combined at the 2002 World Cup.
Szmodics was a big toe offside when Ferguson slid a pass into his path after 22 minutes. The Ipswich attacker calmly rounded Lukas Hradecky to finish but the German linesman’s flag was up.
Ferguson looked sharp, dropping into the number 10 pocket or running off Hoskonen’s shoulder. In response, Szmodics was a live wire, stinging Hradecky’s fingers with a rare Irish shot on target.
The contest was manic throughout the first half. Efforts to pass beyond the Finish press almost backfired when Alho dispossessed Mikey Johnston and fed Robin Lod who curled a shot off Kelleher’s far post.
In a flash, Ebosele sprinted down field, sparking a counterattack that died at Callum O’Dowda’s feet.
All pace and fury, Ebosele, Ferguson and Szmodics showed glimpses of an ideal future. Even Matt Doherty ghosted into the Finland box to nod a looping O’Dowda corner inches wide.
Don’t blink. Antman caught Ireland napping, coming off the left to evade Doherty and Scales before his shot clipped Collins’ stud and hit the post.
Ireland were both exciting and brittle until Ferguson’s fourth international goal, a towering header to reward Mikey Johnston’s jinky dribble and cross from the end line.
Everyone around Irish football has been waiting for a Ferguson moment. Johnston twisted Alho inside out before the big man soared over Ivanov.
The night trundled on until Ferguson’s handball presented Kelleher with his moment to shine. Referee Harm Osmers and VAR decreed that Ferguson’s chest to arm deflection was not a natural movement. O’Shaughnessy’s flick did not provide any mitigation.
After Kelleher matched Pohjanpalo’s spot kick, he was hurt diving on the rebound. He played on.
The save sparked a chorus of Olé, Olé, that was quickly cloaked by nervousness as 39,163 attendance were dragged into the narrative. Could Ireland hold out?
Szmodics threatened to plunder a second goal but Hradecky denied his low shot as Ireland, ranked 63rd in the world proved they were slightly better than the nation ranked 66th.
Onwards to Wembley to face an England side that beat Greece 3-0 in Athens.
Ireland: Kelleher (Liverpool); Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Collins (Brentford), Scales (Celtic), O’Dowda (Cardiff City); Cullen (Burnley), Knight (Bristol City); Ebosele (Watford), Szmodics (Ipswich Town), Johnston (West Bromwich Albion); Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion). Substitutions: O’Shea (Ipswich Town) for Doherty, Azaz (Middlesbrough) for Ferguson, Molumby (WBA) for Ebosele (all 76), Cannon (Stoke City) for Szmodics, Manning (Southampton) for Johnston (both 85).
Finland: Hradecky (Bayer Leverkusen); Alho (Asteros Aktor), Hoskonen (Cracovia), Ivanov (Eintracht Braunschweig), Uronen (Charlotte FC); Antman (Go Ahead Eagles), Kamara (Stade Rennais), Lod (Minnesota United), Peltola (DC United); Kairinen (Sparta Prague); Källman (Cracovia). Substitutions: O’Shaughnessy (HJK Helsinki) for Peltola (58), Pukki (Minnesoda United for Kallman, Nikansen (Exeter City) for Alho (both 84).
Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany).
