EVAN AND HELL

Striker fails to hit spot as goal drought goes on with new boss O’shea

EVAN FERGUSON squandered the chance to end his scoring drought and hand John O’shea a dream start in management.

Brighton’s teen sensation had not 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 Irish debut with a dream goal, but was thwarted in the box.

Considering Belgium enjoyed 65 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 their identity.

But if the FAI’S chosen candidate was tuning in from afar, they would have liked aspects of this performance.

O’shea (above) insisted that his style of play would incorporate a ‘bit of everything’. And that is how it played out with Ireland going back to basics at times and mixing it up when required.

But they should have been off to a flyer only for Luton ace Ogbene to lose his cool close to goal, passing up a guaranteed third-minute opener.

Teed up by Szmodics, Ogbene burst into the box but instead of squaring to Seamus Coleman who was arriving unmarked at the back post, he fired into the side netting.

But not only did Ireland continue to carve out the better chances, they were the only chances of an opening half where they had just 37 per cent possession. Belgium – who face England at Wembley on Tuesday – did not play like the world’s fourth best team.

And Ferguson should have made them pay for their sluggish approach.

Atletico Madrid’s Arthur Vermeeren handled Dara O’shea’s hooked effort but Brighton ace Ferguson slipped as he hit the penalty and Matz Sels saved at his leisure.

Szmodics – with 21 league goals for Blackburn and 27 in all competitions – then threatened to open his Ireland account on his debut.

But after latching on to Ferguson’s clever knockdown, and doing all the hard work to outmuscle his marker, the Rovers ace skied over the bar from an angle. Ferguson remained a handful for O’shea’s men and he powered a header over the Belgian bar 11 seconds into the secondhalf, with the visitors having introduced three subs at the break.

Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku and ex-chelsea man Michy Batshuayi were among them, and the pair injected purpose and threat into Belgium’s attacking play.

And yet Szmodics could have won it with his parting act, only for Everton’s Amadou Onana to block his shot after a lovely flowing Irish move that really deserved some reward.

O’shea introduced Norwich striker Adam Idah, West Brom winger Mikey Johnston and Bristol City’s Jason Knight for the closing 20 minutes, and Udinese right-back Festy Ebosele was a livewire arrival a little later.

But stalemate prevailed as focus switches to Tuesday’s clash with Switzerland while Belgium face England in London.