HUMILIATED BY GREAT DANE
Eriksen leads charge as visitors block road to Russia for Ireland
FOR roughly a quarter of the game, the World Cup dream was still alive and the Republic of Ireland, leading 1-0 through Shane Duffy, were on course to become the 30th team to qualify for Russia.
But it was not to be, and as the Aviva Stadium stands shredded well before the end of this ultimately one-sided affair, there could be no complaints, no fingerpointing recrimination at what might have been.
For this was no hard-luck story as Age Hareide emphatically trumped Martin O’Neill, punching the air at the final whistle as his team delivered on his pre-match promise to score goals, and to win.
And no one revelled more on the than the waif-like figure of Christian Eriksen. Bogged down in the pot-holes of the Parken Stadium, the Spurs midfielder was the game’s most dominant player as he bagged a hat-trick to take his tally to 11 in the campaign. In contrast, Ireland managed 13 in all. What a player, what a difference. Not since the Spanish Armada sailed up the Liffey in ’93, had Dublin throbbed to a World Cup beat like it – it was of greater magnitude than the visit of France eight years ago.
This time it was the Danish longboats seeking the greatest plunder in international football, and they delivered a display which carried dispiriting comparisons to Ireland’s 4-1 capitulation to the Danes in the final World Cup qualifier of ’85.
That game marked the end of Eoin Hand’s time as manager, but O’Neill deserves another crack at Euro 2020, for which he is under contract. Watching his team being run ragged will have hurt and he knows a rebuilding project is required.
Where the players will come from remains to be seen but with no competitive game for 10 months, many old soldiers have likely fired their last bullets, such as John O’Shea, Daryl Murphy, Wes Hoolahan, Jon Walters and Glenn Whelan.
O’Neill kept changes to a minimum from Saturday with David Meyler replacing Callum O’Dowda. As a bonus, the Hull City midfielder also wore the armband as he sought to become the second Corkonian, after Roy Keane, to lead Ireland to a World Cup. Meyler put his neck out by predicting an Irish victory and had it guillotined as O’Neill replaced him at half-time with Ireland trailing 2-1. At kick-off, the heavens opening, and the floodlights shimmered plumes of misty rain for a typical soft Irish night. With James McClean pushing forward to support Murphy, the Irish goal was ‘soft’ from a Danish perspective but Ireland didn’t mind as they struck early, once again. Shane Duffy (pictured), delivered just as he did against Georgia in September, with a towering sixth-minute header coated in courage. From Robbie Brady’s free-kick on half-way, the visitors should have dealt with the danger but Nicolai Jorgensen skied his clearance and Duffy, alert and agile, beat Kasper Schmeichel to the touch. Belgrade, Chisenau, Tbilisi, Dublin against Moldova, Ireland know how to score early but expecting them to stay in front for 85 minutes was a huge ask. Instantly, Denmark roared back and Darren Randolph was required to make two smart saves to deny William Kvist and Pione Sisto. The hosts were dazed and unable to land a blow but slowly they cleared their heads and they tip-toed into the centre of the ring. Improbably, they almost scored a second goal, which might have holed the Danish below the water-line. Christie, who had his work cut out defending his flank, found room down the right in the 22nd minute and fed a fine ball to the near post.
Veteran Murphy got to the ball first and executed a deft first-time effort with his left boot. From the touchline it looked a goal and O’Neill jumped for joy but the ball agonisingly slapped against the side netting.
Emboldened, they went close again moments later when Brady sent McClean free in the inside left channel but his shot squirted across the face of goal.
This was much better from Ireland but their confidence was punctured twice in the space of 180 seconds as the tie was wrenched from their grasp.
First, they nodded off a corner before Ugandan-born Sisto nutmegged Harry Arter and crossed to the far post where Christiansen poked it against the post. Christie was on guard but his clearance was clumsy and the ball caught his leg and slithered over the line.
If that was sloppy, the second was another giveaway. This time, Stephen Ward was caught in possession by Yussuf Poulsen just inside the Irish half and the visitors struck for the jugular with quick, decisive passes.
Poulsen instantly found Jorgensen who fed Eriksen on the edge of the box from where he swept a fierce right-footer beyond Randolph. From 1-0 up to 2-1 down, Ireland needed to score twice and it was no surprise that O’Neill drafted in Wes Hoolahan and Aiden McGeady as Ireland sought creativity.
But the shape was missing and apart from a Duffy header and another Christie sortie, Ireland were clearly second best.
Frustrations were starting to simmer when McClean lumped into Poulsen just past the hour mark. The Polish referee waved play on and Poulsen advanced before picking out Eriksen who netted with a sweet left-footer.
The game was gone from Ireland and their night worsened when Ward erred in the box and Eriksen rifled home a fourth.
It couldn’t get any worse, could it? It did, when substitute Nicolas Bendnter added a fifth from the spot.