ROBINSON’S DOUBLE JAB
Two-goal Ireland star shakes off Covid row
CALLUM ROBINSON emerged from the Covid storm like a thunderbolt to silence the jeers and sneers from the court of public opinion.
The Ireland forward’s revelation that he had refused the vaccine despite twice contracting the virus split opinion and dominated the build-up to this clash.
But having kept a low profile since that briefing – as teammates and Stephen Kenny came out to bat for him in the meantime – West Brom’s Robinson did his talking on the pitch.
Both of his goals in an eerily quiet Olympic Stadium – with police, army and stewards close to outnumbering the 6,000 fans – were top notch.
And he could easily have had three or four as Ireland delivered a first competitive win for Kenny – a victory he couldn’t afford to go without.
Man-of-the-match Robinson refused to comment last night on the off-field furore but beamed: “That one is going to hurt for a while, that I didn’t get a hat-trick in the end.
“The header could have made it a perfect hat-trick. But I’m happy, first of all to get the win as the goals come second, but it was nice to get on the scoresheet.
“When people ask me what’s my best position,
I just enjoy being a free spirit, getting on the ball, being a threat and trying to score.”
Chiedozie Ogbene’s 90th-minute header sealed the deal as
Ireland also won a competitive game for the first time since beating Gibraltar in Dublin in June 2019.
Kenny said: “The win was overdue and 3-0 away from home in a qualifier is rare.
“That’s one defeat in our last seven games and that was a late Portugal goal from Ronaldo, so I feel we’re improving all the time.
“We have undergone a change in system from March onwards and it suits the players that we have. We’re learning all the time and improving our attacking play.
“And today was good to get the goals that give us a platform.”
After the week that was, it just had to be Robinson who would leave his mark with a seventhminute rocket.
And it was a beautiful goal, patiently worked out from the back and into midfield where Josh Cullen fed James Mcclean on the left.
Robinson latched on to his clever inside ball and unleashed an unstoppable leftfooted drive high into the net.
Robinson added: “We’ve been working in training in those pockets so I just thought
I’d get an early shot off and get the keeper off guard and luckily it did.”
However, Azerbaijan reacted well and had Ireland on the run. Better sides would have capitalised as the visitors made a habit of coughing up possession high up the pitch and were scrambling back all too often.
But late in the first half Robinson continued to rewrite the headlines by doubling his own haul with another sublime finish.
A VAR check for a potential handball was brief and nothing would spoil Robinson’s fun as Ogbene’s late intervention had Ireland well covered.