Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LEE K Y BUM TIME
Ireland all set for the crunch in Cardiff
SUCH is the way with Ireland, you never know what you’re going to get – and in that respect, it’s always entertaining.
It’s why Martin O’neill was anxious during the week and why the Green Army were in unusually subdued mood on the streets of Dublin 4 beforehand.
Yes, it was ‘only Moldova’ but there was no room for slip ups for a team that has a knack of lacing its own path with banana skins.
The peculiar timing of Thursday’s announcement that O’neill had agreed – in principle – to extend his contract also muddied the waters.
FAI chief John Delaney had repeatedly said that O’neill’s future would not be discussed until after the Moldova and Wales games.
O’neill’s charges raced out of the blocks to ensure all roads now lead to Cardiff for Monday’s showdown with a Welsh side missing their star turn Gareth Bale.
Daryl Murphy was the Irish hero with a first half brace and he is finishing the campaign as he started it.
In Belgrade 11 months ago, the now 34-year-old scored his first international goal at the 23rd time of asking to salvage a precious point.
With six Nottingham Forest goals to his credit going into this one, he cut a confident swagger unlike Shane Long who ought to have bagged a hat-trick. Throughout this campaign, O’neill has routinely called on his team to hit the ground running in games.
As they did in Chisinau last October, Ireland scored after two minutes. Moldova struggled with Stephen Ward’s booming throw-ins all night and were all at sea for this particular one.
Shane Duffy and Ciaran Clark’s presence in the box distracted the defence and, when the ball cannoned off Alexandru Gatcan – later sent off for a headbutt on Harry Arter – Murphy was there to hook it home.
Only Latvia, Faroes Islands, San Marino and Liechtenstein had scored fewer home goals than Ireland in the campaign going into this game.
And Murphy’s early strike was Ireland’s first home goal in the first half since all through this qualification race.
The striker was soon celebrating again. Hoolahan’s gorgeous cross-field ball to Ward allowed the Burnley man cross for Murphy whose excellent header found the net.
Moldova rarely threatened but Sergiu Platica’s rasping half-volley from distance was on its way into the top corner until Darren Randolph clawed it to safety.
Ireland kept their foot to the floor in the second half but Long must have wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole on the hour.
Hoolahan ought to have taken on the shot himself but played in O’dowda whose effort clipped off a defender and fell to Long but the out-of-sorts Southampton striker side-footed the ball wide under pressure.
Murphy’s goals aside, the biggest roar of the night was reserved for former Cork City forward Sean
Maguire who made his competitive debut off the bench with seven minutes remaining.
Afterwards, Brighton defender Shane Duffy said of the Wales test that awaits: “It’s a tough test, two good teams, Wales got to the semi-final of the Euros.
“We know they’re top seeds and it’s going to be a tough game but we’re not afraid of anyone.
“The most important thing here was the win, now on to the big one.
“We had to get the job done. It’s a cup final feel, winner takes all – and the best team will win. It’s up to the players when we go out there. The manager names the team, it’s up to us.”
We had to get the job done against Moldova...now it’s a cup final feel, winner takes all – and the best will win
IRELAND can still pinch automatic World Cup qualification and Martin O’neill roared: “Let’s go for it.”
For that to happen, the Boys in Green have to beat Wales in Cardiff on Monday and hope Serbia lose at home to Georgia.
O’neill, who saw Daryl Murphy score twice to floor Moldova 2-0, knows it’s a long shot and admits a battle for a second-placed play-off is still more likely.
Results elsewhere tonight and tomorrow will determine if an Irish win in Wales will be good enough to avoid becoming the lowest ranked second-placed side.
O’neill said: “I don’t think anything surprises me in this group. I said at the