Murphy at a thrilling
REP OF IRELAND: Randolph, Christie, Duffy,Clark, Ward, Hoolahan (McGeady 78), Meyler, Hendrick, O’Dowda, Shane Long (Maguire 82), Murphy (Arter 78). Subs not used: Doyle, Elliot, O’Shea, Keogh, Whelan, O’Kane, Hourihane, Hogan, Kevin Long.
Booked: Arter.
Goals: Murphy 2,19.
MOLDOVA: Cebanu, Bordian, Racu, Epureanu, Rozgoniuc, Platica (Ambros 79), Gatcan, Anton, Ionita, Dedov (Cociuc 55), Ginsari. Subs not used: Serghei Pascenco, Koselev, Graur, Antoniuc,Cojocari, Alexandru Pascenco, Ojog.
Sent Off: Gatcan (90).
Booked: Rozgoniuc.
Man of match: Daryl Murphy
Referee: Bas Nijhuis (Rotterdam). IN a week that kicked off with the promotion of three young strikers as Martin O’Neill agreed a deal to look towards the future, a member of the old guard pointed the Republic of Ireland on the way to a routine night’s work at the Aviva.
Daryl Murphy — who scored both goals — turned 34 earlier this year and that age profile means the Waterford man’s name has featured in the ruminations after O’Neill’s prediction that senior members of the panel will naturally drift away when the Republic’s World Cup campaign draws to a close.
Yet there is still a sense that he is making up for lost time as he was exiled for the bulk of Giovanni Trapattoni’s tenure.
The same applies to 35-yearold Wes Hoolahan who was also prominent in the purposeful firsthalf display where the Republic broke from stereotype and really asserted their dominance over an inferior side.
That initiative was lost in a dull second half that drained some of the half-time optimism, with the hosts content to play the percentages when the crowd was crying out for more.
But the job was done and the avoidance of injuries and suspensions appeared to be higher on the priority list than really putting the foot on the pedal and running up a number.
Monday was on the mind and both Hoolahan and Murphy were withdrawn with 12 minutes to go.
That might be a hint they have a role to play in Wales, where they have a serious motivation to prolong the Republic’s interest in this campaign. Otherwise, there is a danger that the unremarkable dismissal of Moldova on an October’s night in Dublin will be marked down as the last time they pulled on the green jersey in a competitive fixture on Irish soil.
There’s a certain poignancy in that for Murphy given that his second-minute opener which relaxed the crowd was actually his first home goal for O’Neill’s men Serbia Wales Rep of Ire Austria Georgia Moldova 9 9 9 9 9 9 5 4 4 3 0 0 3 5 4 3 5 2 1 0 1 3 4 7 19 10 13 5 11 6 13 12 8 13 4 22 18 17 16 12 5 2
and his second in total after last September’s equaliser in Serbia. The challenge now is to go to