Evan help us as misfiring Fergie fluffs his lines
EVAN FERGUSON squandered the chance to end his scoring drought and hand John O’shea a dream start in management.
Brighton’s teen sensation hadn’t scored in 20 club appearances before this friendly clash and his first-half penalty was saved after slipping just as he made contact.
Chiedozie Ogbene had already fluffed a close-range effort, so Ireland were left ruing what might have been on interim boss O’shea’s managerial debut.
Blackburn’s Sammie Szmodics, the Championship’s top scorer this season, also went close to marking his first cap with a dream goal.
With Belgium enjoying 64 per cent possession,
Ireland were making the most of what came their way having created 11 scoring chances to Belgium’s eight.
But the Boys in Green still needed Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher to bail them out of trouble late on with a full-stretch save to deny Thomas Meunier.
FAI chiefs will appoint a permanent successor to
Stephen Kenny next month, claiming “existing contractual obligations” prevent them from revealing the identity.
But if the chosen candidate was tuning in they would have liked aspects of this performance.
O’shea (below) insisted his style of play would incorporate a “bit of everything”.
That’s how it played out, with Ireland going back to basics at times and mixing it up when required.
But they should have got a flyer only for Luton ace Ogbene to lose his cool close to goal, passing up what looked a guaranteed third-minute opener.
Teed up by
Szmodics, Ogbene burst into the box but instead of squaring to Seamus Coleman he fired into the side-netting.
Ferguson should have gone one better after Arthur Vermeeren handled Dara O’shea’s hooked effort – but the Brighton man slipped and Matz Sels saved at his leisure. Szmodics – with 27 club goals this season – threatened to open his Ireland account on his debut but skied over the bar from an angle.
He could have won it just before being replaced, only for Everton’s Amadou Onana to block his shot after a lovely flowing Irish move.
REP IRELAND: Kelleher 7;
Omobamidele 7, Collins 9, O’shea 6; Coleman 8, Cullen 6, Smallbone 6 (Ebosele (85) 6), Brady 6 (Doherty (81) 6); Ogbene 7 (Knight (71) 6), Ferguson 7 (Idah (71) 7), Szmodics 7 (Johnston (71) 6
BELGIUM: Sels 8; Castagne 6
(Batshuayi (46) 6), De Winter 6 (Onana (65) 6), Faes 7, Deman 7; Vermeeren 6, Vranckx 6, Tielemans 6 (Meunier (46)
6); Bakayoko 6 (Lukebakio (64) 6), Openda 7, Trossard 6 (Doku (46) 6)
MAN OF THE MATCH: NATHAN
COLLINS – Composed and authoritative in possession.
REF: R Saggi ATT: 38,128