IRISH DISARRAY
Covid drama hits and horror run rumbles on
FORGET the hazards of Covid- 19 — this goalless draw is reason enough to scrap international football for the time being, a match that put the stale into stalemate.
All of the drama was confined to the hours before kick-off and Ireland losing five players after one of their squad tested positive for coronavirus.
The unnamed player was deemed to have been a close contact of John Egan, Callum Robinson, Alan Browne and Callum O’Dowda, and that quartet are now in self-isolation.
Ireland’s latest Covid- related setback comes after strikers Aaron Connolly and Adam Idah were forced to miss last Thursday’s Euro 2020 play-off defeat in Slovakia.
In a further twist, the FAI claimed before this game that the test result for Connolly and Idah had been a ‘false positive’.
False is one way of describing the action that unfolded on the pitch. Positive is not. Some nil-nils are laced with intrigue, but not this one. It means Ireland are yet to win a
Nations League game in seven attempts, scoring only twice. They also lost James McClean for Wednesday’s trip to Finland after he was sent off for a lunge on Ethan Ampadu late on, earning a second yellow.
Wales and their manager Ryan Giggs remain unbeaten in this season’s competition but their 100 per cent record is gone.
Giggs said: ‘It was a bit scrappy. I’m happy with three games, three clean sheets and seven points. But we need to create more chances.’
Club football has adapted to the absence of supporters in stadiums. This, by contrast, was everything you feared at the onset of behindclosed-doors football.
In three years of competitive matches, Ireland have scored 11 goals in 19 games. Under Stephen Kenny it is one goal in nearly seven hours. He said: ‘Considering losing all those players, those who played can be proud of how they performed. We just couldn’t get that goal.’ The first half brought one effort worthy of record from either side. Wales forward Harry Wilson saw a measured curler tipped around the post by Darren Randolph, while Robbie Brady tried something similar at the other end but the ball zipped wide.
Shane Long last scored for Ireland four years ago and you could see why by the manner in which the striker headed over when unmarked from eight yards on 55 minutes.
There were other flutters of momentary promise from Ireland but it was pretty sober stuff on the whole. In fact, it left you in need of a stiff drink. REP OF IRELAND (4-2-3-1): Randolph 6; DOHERTY 6.5, Duffy 6, K Long 5 (Christie 25, 5), Stevens 6; Molumby 5 (Cullen 90), Hourihane 5.5; Brady 5.5 (Horgan 73, 5.5), Hendrick 5.5, McClean 5; S Long 5 (Maguire 74, 5). Subs not used: Travers, Kelleher, Byrne. Booked: Christie. Sent off: McClean. Manager: Stephen Kenny 5. WALES (4-2-3-1): Hennessey 6; Roberts 5, Ampadu 6, Rodon 6, B Davies 5; Morrell 5.5, Smith 5.5 (Levitt 67, 5); Wilson 5 (N Williams 67, 5), Ramsey 6, James 5.5 (Brooks 77, 5); Moore 5. Subs not used: Gunter, Cabango, J Williams, Roberts, Ward, A Davies, Norrington-Davies, Matondo, Vaulks. Booked: Moore, Morrell. Manager: Ryan Giggs 5. Referee: Anastasios Sidiropoulos 6.