Luxembourg 0 Republic of Ireland 3
It is a matter of opinion that will ebb and flow into the March friendlies - as major football nations prepare for a bizarre winter World Cup across the Doha dunes - but the Ireland manager either got his team selection wrong here or Stephen Kenny is a tactical genius who introduced Jason Knight at the precise moment that some creative spice was needed.
Knight topped a stellar impact with his second assist for Callum Robinson, who made it six goals in four internationals, as Group A finished in dramatic circumstances in Lisbon thanks to Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring a late winner for Serbia to qualify and send Portugal into a treacherous play-off.
Ireland finish a respectable third.
Liam Brady, the country’s midfield general from yesteryear, had bemoaned a lack of creativity from his successors but Josh Cullen, Jeff Hendrick and Knight conjured three second-half goals, finished by Shane Duffy’s noggin, Chiedozie Ogbene’s relentless effort and Robinson.
“There’s only one Stephen Kenny” replaced any other chorus long into this night of revenge for a team that the 50 year-old has rebuilt with teenagers and heretofore unheralded veterans.
Kenny was asked before this final World Cup qualifier about maintaining the heights of playing Portugal before a flat draw with international minnows three days later. They failed in this endeavour last September after the Algarve heroics were followed by an abysmal showing at home to Azerbaijan. That “psychological” peak was scaled in the presence of Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, as a touch of elitism was visible inside a noisy stadium on the outskirts of town.
The intimacy of the venue was palpable as James McClean tirelessly worked up and down the left sideline just below the press box as Ireland dominated the opening exchanges besides two break out opportunities for Luxembourg. The tactics were simple; force an error with intense pressure as Luxembourg attempted to pass out from their goalmouth, so much so that Adam Idah almost picked-pocketed goalkeeper Ralph Schon.
Duffy, keenly aware of the threat posed by Gerson Rodrigues, a name etched into the darker history of Irish football following his superb winner at the Aviva stadium in March, was policed by the Derry giant at every opportunity.
What is now apparent for all to see is Rotherham United will do well to keep Ogbene in the third tier of English football. The 24 year old was unplayable for stretches. Right from the kick-off he attempted a dramatic solo run, skipping passed two defenders.
Vahid Selimovic was moved off Ogbene after just five minutes when clipping the winger before he could bear down on goal. Hungarian referee Tamás Bognár was unmoved by penalty shouts when Idah crumbled under Selimovic’s next challenge.
Lauret Jans also lost Ogbene on the end line as the Cork sprinter was perhaps too honest in not taking a tumble when bumped.
No matter, Ogbene is becoming a sensational weapon for Kenny’s Ireland.
Robinson endeavoured to maintain his rich vein of form in a green jersey - switched to horrible bright orange for this tie - drawing another first half booking for Christopher Martins Pereira but his wickedly struck free was deflected for a corner.
All very promising, but lacking the cutting edge that Idah was supposed to provide. Down the Irish fan end, Olivier Thill and Danel Sinani rattled pot shots inches wide of Gavin Bazunu’s posts.
It felt like the first manager who effectively altered tactics or shape would break the deadlock. For all the rapid movement of Robinson, Ogbene and Idah, Ireland’s attacking triangle missed Jamie McGrath’s nous. Not as blatantly as the Troy Parrott, Aaron Connolly and Idah threesome during the miserable draw with Azerbaijan, but problematic all the same.
It increasingly felt like Kenny would be compelled to wield the axe. Idah made the most sense with Robinson becoming the tip of the spear. It took a sluggish 62 minutes to introduce Knight and he quickly won the free that led to Duffy’s headed finish off Cullen’s delivery.
Before that, Ireland’s best chances came off Luxembourg’s error in their own box, with an Ogbene shot and John Egan header from another Cullen corner forcing Schon into acrobatic saves.
Ireland were far more threatening but Luxembourg coach Luc Holtz and his wonderful winter jacket floated down the tunnel at the break.
The second half had barely settled when Rodrigues fluffed a clear goal chance. The weakest of shots was routinely taken by Bazunu.
The place swayed from nirvana to an apoplectic fit when Bognár calmly disallowed Sinani’s goal on 53 minutes after spotting Maurice Deville’s push on Duffy. It was a clear foul but Duffy took an age to regain his feet, and when he did the ball was in the Irish net. The Brighton centre half was livid when booked moments later for powering through the back of Deville.
Finally, with 20 minutes remaining, the relatively subdued but sizable Irish contingent in the 9,268 crowd made more noise than the natives as ‘The Fields of Athenry’ gave the Lambeg looking drums a run for their money. Holtz’s pre-match assertion that Kenny’s Ireland have resorted to long balls was emptied down his throat by Hendrick’s neat pass unlocked the Luxembourg defence, allowing Knight to cut back for Ogbene to finish.
The rest was gravy as, oddly, the Luxembourgers kept on singing. Like Irish fans from another era, they just seemed happy to be there.
Ireland: Bazunu (Portsmouth); Coleman (Everton, capt), Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), Egan (Sheffield United); Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Hendrick (Newcastle United), Cullen (Anderlecht), McClean (Wigan Athletic); Ogbene (Rotherham United), Robinson (West Bromwich Albion); Idah (Norwich City).
Subs: Jason Knight (Derby County) for Idah (62), Browne (Preston North End) for Ogbene (82), Omobamidele (Norwich City) for Doherty, Hourihane (Sheffield United)for Cullen, Parrott for Robinson (K Dons) for (all 89).
Luxembourg: Schon (FC Wiltz); Jans (Sparta Rotterdam, capt), Chanot (New York FC), Martins Pereira (BSC Young Boys), Mica Pinto (Sparta Rotterdam); O Thill (Vorkla Poltava), Selimovic (Crete FC), Barreiro (Mainz 05), Sinani (Huddersfield); Rodrigues (Troyes), Borges Sanches (Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Subs: Deville (FC Saarbrücken) for Borges Sanches (51), S Thill (FC Sheriff) for Martins Pereira (86).
Referee: Tamás Bognár (Hungary).
